Remember the days when you and your team would gather in a conference room for a meeting and just as your boss is about to write something on the whiteboard, she looks around and realizes, there aren’t any markers. Then begins the search through other conference rooms, asking innocent bystanders working away at their desks…no one knows. Sigh…

Oh, what’s that you say? That was yesterday?

Yeah, those days really aren’t behind us. But thankfully, we’re getting there. And given that many sales teams have already adopted tablets for pitches, hopefully it’s only a matter of time before we start to use them for any and all kinds of presentations. Whether you’re presenting to a roomful of team members or to an individual client, tablets like the iPad make excellent tools for both creating and delivering effective presentations. Of course, you can create presentations on your laptop, but tablets provide more mobility. Tablets also allow customers to interact with the material instead of just viewing it passively. Best of all, tablets deliver the kind of breathtaking graphics and sharp sound quality that will take your presentation to the next level.

Enjoy the Flexibility

When prepping a presentation on your tablet, you can either create a slideshow using an app like Keynote or you can simply place a collection of files in a folder and pull them up individually as you speak. A structured slideshow presentation would be more appropriate for a large group of people, while a collection of files that you can access quickly is more appropriate for a customer-guided conversation. With a tablet, the information that you need is at your fingertips. You won’t have to walk over to a table to click or type on your laptop.

Deliver Media-Rich Presentations

Your tablet can allow you to present crystal-clear photos of your facilities, of new products and even of people who work for your company. Additionally, you can deliver top-notch videos of how products are made and used as well as videos of designer profiles and customer testimonials. Quick PDFs or links to product photos and detailed descriptions will allow you to veer slightly off-subject without disrupting the flow of your presentation.

Go Paperless

Presentations given on a tablet will eliminate paper clutter. After you give your presentation, you can quickly email a copy of the slideshow or of relevant files to anyone who wants to see the material instead of passing out a pile of brochures or creating a presentation binder. If you want to capture a contract or a sale, then you can allow the client to fill out the contract on your tablet or conduct the transaction instantly and email the client the receipt.

Make it Personal

Tablets are especially perfect to use in one-on-one or small group situations. You can leaf through images with the flick of a finger while showcasing the vivid tablet to your colleagues. It creates a personalized experience since you can allow your colleague or client to take the reigns if s/he wishes, and it puts all of you close to the product or the topic that you’re presenting on.

Tablets will enhance not only the delivery but also the look of your presentations. Additionally, possessing the latest technology creates the perception that your business is ahead of the curve. Create a new dimension for your presentations by switching to a tablet. You’ll inject both creativity and flash into the material that you present.