Accessories are as important as what they accessorize.
Don’t believe us?
Imagine wearing the most exquisite clothes for an event but without accessories.
That would mean no belt, wallet, cufflink, lapel, pocket square or earrings, watch, bracelet, ring, etc.
How complete or confident would you feel in your attire?
The same is true for presentations. Presentation accessories elevate the experience for you and the audience, whether you present in a boardroom, conference, event, or small team meeting.
Being equipped with the right tools can make a considerable difference in the receptivity of your message.
This guide lists essential presentation accessories that will help you engage people and convey your message in the best possible way.
Why Are Presentation Accessories Important?
From portable speakers to backup drives, presentation accessories are a world in themselves, and each has the power to affect the efficacy of your presentation.
What if your computer stops working mid-way? Or people can’t hear you from every part of the room?
Your accessories will help you gracefully and professionally emerge from these situations. They will ensure you are well-prepared and equipped to handle unfavorable scenarios and enhance your slides and speech.
So, without further ado, let’s examine what you need handy before you step on the stage.
Presentation Accessories for an Effective and Impactful Presentation
The right accessories will accentuate your performance and create a seamless experience for the audience. They will also boost your confidence and make you shine as a presenter.
1. Remote
When it comes to speeches, we all know how important covering space is! You don’t want to be glued to the podium and miss the chance to mingle with the audience.
Remember how magnanimous Steve Jobs looked in his speeches as he walked around the stage?
Invest in an exemplary wireless Bluetooth remote to give yourself the freedom to move around the space.
Note – There are plenty of apps that let you control your presentation from your phone. You can use them to make the process easy.
2. Whiteboard
You don’t want to rely on a single multimedia tool and risk making your presentation look monotonous and boring. Whiteboards can add fun, creativity, and engagement to your speech.
You can draw diagrams or charts on a whiteboard to illustrate your points, explain ideas, brainstorm, and interact with people. You can also boost participation by asking people to write feedback or questions on the board.
There are many other ways to make your presentation more dynamic and collaborative using this tool. However, remember to ensure you have enough markers and erasers. You should also have enough space to keep them to avoid inconvenience and poor visibility.
3. Water Bottle
Drinking water will help you calm your nerves and prevent your mouth from drying while talking, so a handy water bottle is a no-brainer. Even the audience will need a water bottle to stay hydrated and focus on your words better.
Remember to drink occasionally to keep your body hydrated.
4. Pointer
A pointer is handy when you want to emphasize something important to people. You can use it to draw people’s attention to specific things on your screen, board, or objects or even to people in the room to emphasize information or make engaging personal connections.
A pointer can help you make your speech more interactive, clear, and focused. However, remember not to overuse it as it can cause discomfort.
5. Mint and an Energy Drink
Mint is another weapon in your arsenal that can help elevate your speech experience.
Chewing gum can make you look unprofessional, so make mints the go-to choice for a fresh breath.
You can also take cough drops like Ricola, which smell good and soothe your throat from excessive talking while giving you a good taste.
Energy drinks, juices, and milkshakes can give you the buzz needed to be alert and active with heightened senses before you step on the stage and improve your delivery.
6. Hard Drive or Cloud
You might think that having an additional file of your presentation stored on your laptop or email is enough.
Not to sound paranoid, but what if your laptop breaks down or your account gets hacked? A backup of your presentation on a thumb drive, external hard drive, or cloud will ensure that your content is always handy in case of a mishap.
This presentation accessory will let you step on stage without worry, fear, or stress about technical difficulties in accessing your presentation.
7. Microphone
Microphones are essential accessories that help you communicate properly with the audience by modulating your voice, tone, pitch, pace, volume, etc.
It will help you avoid straining your throat and vocal cords by comfortably projecting your voice and adjusting the volume as needed, regardless of the size of the room and the audience.
Microphones allow for easy, smooth, and clear communication even in a somewhat noisy setting, which is very important when addressing larger crowds.
Make sure to do a dry run to eliminate echo or interference and make your presentation more audible, engaging, and persuasive with this useful presentation accessory.
8. Timer
More often than not, you will be presented with a time limit to which you must adhere. Running over that would make you look unprofessional and bore people from the long spell. We all have heard of the phrase ‘Death by PowerPoint.’
A timer is a valuable and practical accessory to help you tackle that. You can manage your time – how long you have to speak, how much time is left, pace yourself depending on the time spent on each topic, and so on.
It will allow you to respect your audience’s schedule and finish in the allotted time by improvising wherever required, making your presentation more structured, relevant, and valuable.
9. Props
A prop can make your presentation creative, visually appealing, engaging, and memorable. You can use it to spark curiosity, illustrate your point, emphasize information, or add fun, humor, and engagement to your slides.
It’s an excellent accessory for showcasing a demonstration or adding examples to your topic. For instance, in her TED Talk “My Stroke of Insight,” Jill Bolte Taylor used a brain as her prop to explain her journey.
10. Portable Speakers
Large conference rooms and similar settings generally have speakers installed to address the audience in such massive spaces.
But technical issues are not something unheard of. Portable speakers are your savior in such unforeseen technical glitch scenarios.
You can find many speaker options that offer rich sound, the size of your palm’s portability, and great design.
11. Notepad and Pen
A notepad and pen are other essential items a presenter should carry. First, you can use it as a reference for your speech by writing short keywords or points to remember.
Second, rest assured you will be asked questions in your presentations that you need to answer, if not immediately. Writing them down will help you remember them for later reference and answer. Similarly, your audience might ask you for follow-up items, which you would remember better if written down.
A notepad and pen can come in handy in multiple scenarios during your presentation.
Pro Tip – If you prefer typing, you can carry a tablet like an iPad for the same functionality as a notebook. Tablets are also handy in one-on-one presentation meetings; you won’t have to take the bigger laptops.
12. Business Cards
You delivered an excellent presentation, and potential clients or customers want to contact you. How will they do that if they don’t have your business cards?
Business cards are essential accessories, so carry enough to hand over to the audience for post-presentation follow-up.
13. Handouts
Handouts can be a great marketing gimmick and help people remember you better. Consider what you want people to have during and after the presentation and prepare the material accordingly.
Handouts help make the message easy to comprehend. A takeaway for later can improve the longevity and retention of your speech. You could leave people with a printed copy of your presentation, a key point pamphlet, a brochure of your company, or anything else you deem fit that can help your bottom line.
An email can be done, too, but tangible things often elicit more emotions and feel more personal than attachments in an email.
14. Laptop Display Adapters
Compatibility between your laptop and the display equipment is one thing you want to ensure for a hassle-free experience.
The newer laptops have replaced the classic VGA port with HDMI ports. So, to ensure adaptability, carry an HDMI to VGA adapter to eliminate potential issues and be handy in case of any port type.
15. Live Audience Polling Software
You must make your presentation fun, engaging, and memorable for the audience. There are many ways to do that, including live audience polling, especially if you are addressing a large audience.
Polling software lets you tap into that by having people answer in real-time through their smartphones. It can make your presentation more interactive, making people more attentive to your message.
A Few Pro Tips
- Invest in a good backpack or briefcase to store all these accessories safely and conveniently. You don’t want to fiddle with your stuff in a room full of people. A professional bag will make you look polished and organize your things for easy and smooth access.
- If you are presenting from your laptop, a mouse can help you move faster and more efficiently than the trackpad.
- Carry a watch if you don’t want to use a timer or fumble with your phone during the presentation. It can serve as a personal and presentational accessory and let you keep track of time.
- Before entering the presentation venue, fully charge your gadgets, such as your phone and laptop. Be cautious; carry an extra pair of batteries if something goes wrong.
- Extension cords and power adapters are other presentation accessories you could invest in for a smooth experience.
- You can also carry a video camera to record your presentation and broadcast it on social media later for added visibility. It can also serve as a medium to review the presentation later and improvise accordingly.
- Remote, portable speakers, notepad, water, and backup storage options are essential public speaking tools you shouldn’t do without.
In a Nutshell
On your way to deliver the most crucial presentation of your lifetime?
A PPT and a laptop won’t cut it. What you need is a plethora of tools that will help you win the battle.
Various accessories can be used and cater to different presentational needs. Choosing and investing in the right combination will help elevate each aspect of your speech and slides.
So, pack your presentation bag with the combination that suits you from the ones mentioned above to deliver an impeccable performance and make the process seamless for yourself and the audience.
