When preparing an interactive presentation, first decide what participants will do and how you will use their responses in the flow. Then choose suitable questions or short activities, allow time for responses, and rehearse the entire presentation. The goal is not to add movement to the slides, but to involve the audience meaningfully in the topic.
1. Connect participation to the presentation’s goal
Start your preparation with these questions: What should the audience understand by the end of the presentation? At what point would it be useful for them to share an idea, demonstrate what they know, or make a decision? How much time do you have for participation? The answers will help you choose the format. If you are explaining a concept, you might ask for a quick prediction; if you are evaluating options, you might invite a comparison; if you are gathering ideas, you could take a short round of responses.
Connect participation to the purpose of the presentation; do not ask an unrelated question just to break the silence. Whether the activity is in person, online, or hybrid may also affect your choice. For example, in a group where taking turns speaking would take time, you could first try a short pause for individual thinking. This is not a requirement, but a method you can adapt to the number of participants and the setting.
2. Decide on the timing and response format
Find out in advance how long the presentation will be, how many people will attend, how familiar they are with the topic, and what tools are available. Leave time for participants to answer, for a few people to speak, and for you to summarize the responses. If you plan to use a polling or chat tool, check before the meeting whether participants can access it and whether the option you intend to use is available in the meeting environment. If you are unsure, do not make the tool mandatory; choose a simple backup, such as spoken responses or a short individual thinking break.
The options available in online meetings may vary depending on the platform. Do not assume a particular feature is available based on general presentation advice; check the current interface of the platform you use before the meeting. For additional platform-specific suggestions, you can also consult the guide to making an interactive presentation in Zoom; still, verify the features you plan to use in your own meeting.
3. Place interaction points in the flow
Rather than adding a question to every slide, choose a few points where audience thinking will enhance the presentation. For example, check what people already know at the beginning, ask for a prediction or decision in the main section, and have them apply what they learned to a new situation at the end. Make each question clear and focused on one thing. Instead of asking, “What do you think?”, asking, “Which of these two options would you try first, and why?” can make the scope of the response clearer.
Plan what you will do after responses come in: summarize common points, compare differing views, or connect a response to the next explanation. Collecting responses without using them in the flow can make participation feel pointless. Also consider that participants may not want to answer aloud; you can offer alternatives such as silent reflection or written responses. Monash University’s oral presentation guide lists asking questions that invite responses and providing a clear outline of the presentation among the options that support audience participation (oral presentation guide).
4. Design slides around the activity
Include one main idea on each slide. The question, options, and instructions should be easy to read; participants should understand what to do, how much time they have, and how to share their response. For example, the instruction “Take a minute to think, then share one option and your reasoning” is clearer than simply saying “Discuss.”
Dense text, small type, and low color contrast can be distracting. UCSB Libraries recommends a simple design, readable text, one concept per slide, and using animation sparingly (recommendations for good slide design). Apply these recommendations to participation slides, too: keep instructions brief, present the options so they are easy to distinguish, and check whether visual movement makes the task harder to understand.
5. Example flow: improving a meeting agenda
Hypothetical example: In a 15-minute team presentation, the goal is to make the meeting agenda more effective. The timings are included only to make this example concrete; adjust them in a real presentation based on group size.
- Slide 1 — The problem: Ask, “What situation wastes the most time in meetings?” Invite short responses or first give participants a quiet moment to think.
- Slide 2 — Sample agenda: Show a clearly hypothetical agenda with three items. Ask, “Which item requires a decision or information in advance?”
- Slide 3 — The choice: Show two proposed revisions side by side. Ask participants to choose one and explain their reasoning; then connect their responses to the decision criteria.
- Slide 4 — Applying it: Ask everyone to identify one item they would change for the next meeting. Summarize the suggestions and clarify the next step.
In this example, participation surfaces what people already know, prompts a decision based on the sample, and connects the topic to practical application. This flow does not guarantee a particular outcome; adapt the questions and timing to your audience.
6. Rehearse and prepare for possible disruptions
Rehearse the presentation from beginning to end. For each activity, practice giving the instructions, waiting for responses, and summarizing them. UCSB Libraries recommends rehearsing, making eye contact with the audience, and keeping to the time allotted (interacting with the audience during a presentation).
During rehearsal, consider these possibilities:
- No one responds: Allow some thinking time, make the question more specific, or change the response format. If no one responds, you can move on to the explanation you prepared.
- Responses run long: Ask participants to keep their responses brief before inviting them to speak; summarize the main themes and return to the flow.
- The activity runs over time: Invite fewer people to respond or shorten the activity; leave time for the key message and closing.
- The tool you planned to use does not work: Switch to the spoken response or individual thinking method you chose in advance. Do not interrupt the presentation to look for a new tool.
7. Final checklist
- Are the presentation’s goal and target audience clear?
- Does each activity have a clear purpose related to the topic?
- Do participants know what to do, how much time they have, and how to respond?
- Do you have a plan for connecting responses to the presentation’s content?
- Are the slides readable and the instructions clear?
- Have you rehearsed the timing, and do you have a simple backup for any tools you plan to use?
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask a question on every slide?
No. Place questions where the responses will help people understand the topic, evaluate options, or apply what they have learned. Asking questions too often can disrupt the flow.
What should I do if the audience does not respond?
Allow time to think, make the question more specific, or change the response format. If no one responds, move on to the explanation you planned without presenting the silence as a failure, and simplify the next activity.
Related how-to guides
You can explore the relevant step in this process in the guide to creating interactive slides in PowerPoint.
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