Adding Bells and Whistles- Using Music, Video and Technology to Enhance Your Presentation

Adding Bells and Whistles- Using Music, Video and Technology to Enhance Your Presentation


Imagine spending an entire day without listening to music or watching any sort of video.  How would you feel?  Your day would probably feel too quiet and maybe even a little boring.  Music has a way of tapping into our emotions and lightening our mood.  Likewise, people around the world are watching thousands of videos on YouTube.  In fact, one hour of new videos are added to YouTube every second!  It’s staggering to think about, but people simply love video.  While music and videos greatly influence our daily lives, they are also capable of helping presenters connect with their audiences.

The Power of Music

Music is an incredible tool for presenters because it can impact the way their speech is delivered and it can also impact the way the audience responds.  Different types of music evoke different emotions.  For example, classical music can be calming while current pop songs can be uplifting and make people feel good.  Music can also be used to jog the memory.  There’s a reason children learn the alphabet by singing it.  Music can help your audience remember important information.  Music can also be used to place emphasis on key points.  Finally, music has a way of uniting people, and for a presenter, connecting with the audience is crucial.

Use Music as a Prelude: Playing music as people arrive can immediately set the tone for a refreshing atmosphere and it quickly shows them that this is not going to be another boring presentation.  It is most effective when the music is upbeat, positive, and universally popular.  Motown, for example, would be a great choice.

Use Music as an Opener: Music can be used as the perfect way to open your presentation.  Much like the theme song to a movie, music can help the audience sit back, relax, and get ready to listen.

Use Music to Excite People: Are you getting to that critical point in your sales pitch?  This would be the perfect time to get your clients excited about what you are going to say.  A song like, “It’s Your Thing” by the Isley Brothers will drive your point and get your clients smiling.

End with an Anthem: Nothing wraps up a movie like a good anthem.  Similarly, this is a great way to culminate your presentation.  Give your audience something to remember and end with that sizzle that will really knock their socks off.

Steal the Show with Video

Steve Jobs is considered one of the greatest and most charismatic presenters and he incorporated videos into nearly every one of his presentations.  That’s because videos can be an effective and persuasive tool.

Keep Clips Short and Sweet:  Videos are a great way to enhance a lecture or sales pitch but they are not meant to replace it.  People have short attention spans so your presentation videos should be roughly 30-60 seconds in length.  A short video clip can be a great way to break up the presentation and keep people interested in the content.

Insert the Video Into Your Presentation Software:  When you are using a video clip it should be inserted seamlessly into the presentation.  It doesn’t have the same effect if you have to pull it up separately on a different computer.  Rather, you should insert it into your PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, or Prezi presentation software.

Stick with Authentic: The reason YouTube has become so popular is because it is just real people doing everyday things.  Audiences tend to favor casual, authentic, and realistic videos.  In a sales presentation, your clients might prefer an authentic video of a interaction with a real customer as opposed to a highly produced corporate commercial.

Music and videos are great ways to enhance your presentation and make you stand out.  It helps the speaker connect with the audience and it evokes an emotional response from the audience.  When you begin to prepare for your next presentation, go for the bells and whistles by adding music and video.