Ten Tips for Using Props in a Presentation

In my previous post, I looked at some of the ways in which a prop can add some real value to a presentation. In this post, I provide 10 tips when it comes to using props. For most of the tips, I have added a video clip of a speech or presentation that shows the idea in action.

1. The prop must be relevant to the message

It might seem axiomatic, but without question, this is the most important rule for using props. If the prop does not contribute to the objective of your speech or presentation, you should not use it.

Jill Bolte Taylor used a human brain during her talk about her stroke and the insights into life that she gained from it (2:30-3:45). The prop was effective because it gave the audience a very visual, very memorable sense of the basic structure of the brain, which was important for the talk.

2. Make sure the audience can see the prop

The larger the audience, the more care you must take to ensure that everyone can see the prop. It is frustrating for those who are sitting at the back if they cannot see it. Even for small audiences, a speaker must be sure that people can see the prop. Hold it up high enough and long enough so that people can get a meaningful look.

In this talk by Bruce Aylward, which I analyzed here, Bruce used a very small prop in front of a very large audience to open his talk (0:35 – 0:55). It worked because a video of Bruce was being projected on a large screen and Bruce held up the vial long enough so that people could get a good look. 

3. Use the right number of props

If you use more props than is appropriate for your presentation, there is a risk that it will come across as Vaudevillian rather professional. There is no “right” number of props to use, though in many cases, one will suffice. It depends on a number of factors such as the amount of time you have, the nature of the props, whether the props are related, etc. No two speeches are exactly the same and each requires its own “recipe” to turn out right. Use props the way you would use spices when cooking—judiciouslyto enhance the flavour, not overpower it.

Daniel Kraft gives a terrific presentation in which he convey an incredible amount of information about harvesting bone marrow. In addition to video and PowerPoint slides, Kraft—whose speech I analyzed here as part of my series on the book Made to Stick—used five props in four minutes. But he used them well.

4. Make sure the prop works

The more complicated the prop, the greater the chance that something can go wrong. Test it, test it and then test it again beforehand. This is especially important if the prop forms a key part of the presentation; for example, if it is an invention that you are revealing to the public.

In this TED Talk, Markus Fischer shows his audience (starting at 2:00) a robot. It looks and flies like a real bird and is truly remarkable. There is a lot that could have gone wrong with this prop (including crashing into the audience!) but it worked like a charm (twice). I have no doubt that Markus and his team tested it over and over before the presentation.

5. Have a backup in case the prop doesn’t work

Many props are simple items with few or no moving parts. The chances that they will not work are next to zero. But what about complicated props like the robotic bird above? Or what if you forget or lose your simple prop? Can you adjust? Do you have a backup plan?

In the video above, everything worked well. But to be on the safe side, I would have had a video of the robotic bird flying just in case something went wrong with the live presentation. Perhaps Markus Fischer did have such a video. We can’t be sure because he didn’t need it. But it would be a nice insurance policy to have.

6. Be completely comfortable with the prop

The speaker must be comfortable in handling the prop from start to finish. This means revealing the prop, handling it, operating it (if applicable), putting it away and, of course, speaking about it.

For a memorable example of the need to be comfortable with a prop, this speech by Chris Bishop certainly fits the bill. The prop is fittingly referred to as the “swinging ball of death”. If you watch the short video below, you’ll know why. (My thanks to Max Atkinson for brining this clip to my attention.)

7. Keep the prop hidden until you need it

Now this is more easily done with small props that you can keep in your pocket or behind the lectern. However, it might be possible with larger props if you have a big stage with a back curtain or wings. There are two advantages with keeping the prop hidden: it will not distract the audience while you are talking about something else; and the impact of the prop will be greater if it is only seen when you reveal it.

When I participated in the 2009 Toastmasters District 59 Humorous Speech Contest, my speech was a good-natured spoof about men evaluating their wives’ ability to argue. At one point, I talked about how when they yell at their husbands, wives have to remember not to go on and on. In Toastmasters, a red card is universally recognized as the sign that you have to wrap up your speech.

I found a way to incorporate this into the speech (5:30 – 5:40). I used a red card as a prop, but kept it hidden until I needed it. The card had the intended effect.

8. Build anticipation for the prop

Doing so will focus the audience’s attention and give the prop greater impact when it is revealed. Of course, this requires the right choreography and the prop needs to live up to the expectation that you create; however, when done well, the effect is powerful.

A classic example of this technique was when Steve Jobs revealed the MacBook Air for the first time. Note how he used the comparison with the Sony notebook to build up interest and expectation. And having the MacBook Air in “one of those envelopes we’ve all seen floatin’ around the office” was a stroke of genius.

9. Be creative with your props

I’ve written elsewhere about the importance of being creative when it comes to preparing a presentation and the same holds true for props. With thousands of objects from which to choose, use your imagination. Try to think of unusual props that would have a real impact on your audience. Think about metaphors or analogies for the points you are trying to make and then look for the relevant item. It might be as close as your kitchen cupboard.

Bill Gates’ releasing mosquitoes in the TED auditorium while delivering his talk about malaria was brilliant (5:10 – 5:35). It was creative, unexpected and definitely grabbed the audience’s attention.

10. Put the prop away when you finish with it

Unless you will need to refer to the prop again, I recommend putting it away (or at least to the side) once you are finished using it. Otherwise, the prop could be a distraction for the rest of your talk.

In most of the videos above, the speakers put the props away or had assistants take them away when they were finished.

The next time you want to add a little “oomph” to your presentation, consider using a prop. If you do, the tips above will help you get the most out of it.

Like this article?

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkdin
Share on Pinterest
mannerofspeaking

mannerofspeaking

  1. John,

    Don’t know what to say really. A benchmark post, the definitive article on using props in speeches and presentation… Lost for words really. I loved it and I’m straight over to my new love, Twitter, to shout it out loud. Brilliant piece of work John.

    Just wondering which bits I can steal. LOL

  2. Hi John,
    What a great article, thanks 🙂
    I have recently done a 10-minute presentation at a local networking group, and did a ‘show and tell’ time. I had a bag with 4 items, took them out one at a time, spoke about them for a few minutes each and then put them to one side. It was the first time anyone had done this, and without a PPT in sight; it went down really well. After reading your tips, I am tempted to make more of this idea and maybe structure future guest speaker events like this. have one prepared with simple PPT slides, but this could easily be tweaked to use props instead.
    You have inspired me, thank you!
    Sue

    1. Hi Sue,
      Thanks very much for the message and congratulations on having the courage to try something new with your speeches. I am glad that your audience appreciated your effort. If my post has, in some small way, inspired you to try using props in future speeches, then I am glad and wish you the best of success.
      Cheers!
      John

  3. Hi John,
    Very good post. Our club contest is this week and your earlier post on props led me to the conclusion that my humorous speech could be better with some props.
    Thanks for your posts — and that they are frequent.
    Best regards,
    John

    1. Hi John,
      Thanks very much for the comment. I’m glad that you found the posts props useful. The best of success to you in your Club Contest! Ours is tomorrow evening; I will be the Contest Chair for the Humorous Speech and a judge for Table Topics. Looking forward to it.
      Cheers!
      John

  4. Thanks John – this is a wide-ranging and extremely useful list. Having so many videos really reinforces the tips, too, so kudos for putting it all together.
    I have a tip that might be useful for video posts like this: As well as *writing* the time at which something specific happens in a YouTube video (e.g. “5:10 – 5:35”), you can also create a link that sends people straight to that point on the video’s timeline. For details and an example, please see http://remotepossibilities.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/analog-presentation-tips-1-use-a-flipchart/#youtube_tip
    Keep up the great blogging!

    1. Thanks very much, Craig. And thanks for the tip. I had discovered it at some point after writing this post and will keep it in mind for future posts.
      Cheers!
      John

  5. Great post John, as usual you’ve really gone the extra mile. 👏❤️ It will be great to see what people come up with in our open training in Berlin in September during the ‘use a prop’ exercise.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

19 − 7 =

Testimonials

John delivered a keynote address about the importance of public speaking to 80 senior members of Gore’s Medical Device Europe team at an important sales event. He was informative, engaging and inspirational. Everyone was motivated to improve their public speaking skills. Following his keynote, John has led public speaking workshops for Gore in Barcelona and Munich. He is an outstanding speaker who thinks carefully about the needs of his audience well before he steps on stage.

Karsta Goetze

TA Leader, Gore and Associates

I first got in touch with John while preparing to speak at TED Global about my work on ProtonMail. John helped me to sharpen the presentation and get on point faster, making the talk more focused and impactful. My speech was very well received, has since reached almost 1.8 million people and was successful in explaining a complex subject (email encryption) to a general audience.

Andy Yen

CEO, Proton Technologies

John gave the opening keynote on the second day of our unit’s recent offsite in Geneva, addressing an audience of 100+ attendees with a wealth of tips and techniques to deliver powerful, memorable presentations. I applied some of these techniques the very next week in an internal presentation, and I’ve been asked to give that presentation again to senior management, which has NEVER happened before. John is one of the greatest speakers I know and I can recommend his services without reservation.

David Lindelöf

Senior Data Scientist, Expedia Group

After a morning of team building activities using improvisation as the conduit, John came on stage to close the staff event which was organised in Chamonix, France. His energy and presence were immediately felt by all the members of staff. The work put into the preparation of his speech was evident and by sharing some his own stories, he was able to conduct a closing inspirational speech which was relevant, powerful and impactful for all at IRU. The whole team left feeling engaged and motivated to tackle the 2019 objectives ahead. Thank you, John.

Umberto de Pretto

Secretary General, World Road Transport Organization

I was expecting a few speaking tips and tricks and a few fun exercises, but you went above and beyond – and sideways. You taught me to stand tall. You taught me to anchor myself. You taught me to breathe. You taught me to open up. You taught me to look people in the eye. You taught me to tell the truth. You taught me to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. I got more than I bargained for in the best possible way.

Thuy Khoc-Bilon

World Cancer Day Campaign Manager, Union for International Cancer Control

John gave a brilliant presentation on public speaking during the UN EMERGE programme in Geneva (a two days workshop on leadership development for a group of female staff members working in the UN organizations in Geneva). His talk was inspirational and practical, thanks to the many techniques and tips he shared with the audience. His teaching can dramatically change our public speaking performance and enable us as presenters to have a real and powerful impact. Thank you, John, for your great contribution!

Sara Canna

HR Specialist, World Health Organization

John is a genuine communication innovator. His seminars on gamification of public speaking learning and his interactive Rhetoric game at our conference set the tone for change and improvement in our organisation. The quality of his input, the impact he made with his audience and his effortlessly engaging style made it easy to get on board with his core messages and won over some delegates who were extremely skeptical as to the efficacy of games for learning. I simply cannot recommend him highly enough.

Thomas Scott

National Education Director, Association of Speakers Clubs UK

John joined our Global Sales Meeting in Segovia, Spain and we all participated in his "Improv(e) your Work!" session. I say “all” because it really was all interactive, participatory, learning and enjoyable. The session surprised everybody and was a fresh-air activity that brought a lot of self-reflection and insights to improve trust and confidence in each other inside our team. It´s all about communication and a good manner of speaking!"

Jon Lopez

General Manager Europe, Hayward Industries

Thank you very much for the excellent presentation skills session. The feedback I received was very positive. Everyone enjoyed the good mix of listening to your speech, co-developing a concrete take-away and the personal learning experience. We all feel more devoted to the task ahead, more able to succeed and an elevated team spirit. Delivering this in a short time, both in session and in preparation, is outstanding!

Henning Dehler

CFO European Dairy Supply Chain & Operations, Danone

Thanks to John’s excellent workshop, I have learned many important tips and techniques to become an effective public speaker. John is a fantastic speaker and teacher, with extensive knowledge of the field. His workshop was a great experience and has proven extremely useful for me in my professional and personal life.

Eric Thuillard

Senior Sales Manager, Sunrise Communications

John’s presentation skills training was a terrific investment of my time. I increased my skills in this important area and feel more comfortable when speaking to an audience. John provided the right mix between theory and practice.

Diego Brait

Director of the Jura Region, BKW Energie AG

Be BOLD. Those two words got stuck in my head and in the heads of all those ADP leaders and associates that had the privilege to see John on stage. He was our keynote speaker at our annual convention in Barcelona, and his message still remains! John puts his heart in every word. Few speakers are so credible, humble and yet super strong with large audiences!

Guadalupe Garcia

Senior Director and Talent Partner, ADP International