The Power of Show and Tell:  3 Ways to use Props in your Sales Presentation or Pitch

For many of us, bringing a pet, a favorite toy or even person to school for show and tell was our earliest experience using a prop.  Why didn’t the teacher just have us tell a story?  Because teachers know that a verbal story alone is not enough to hold the attention of a room full of children. While your prospects are likely a bit older, show and tell is still one of the most powerful ways to gain an audience’s attention and improve recall.
According to Toastmasters, listeners only retain 10% of what they’ve heard one week later.  This percentage increases to 67% when visual aids are added to the equation.
I’ve seen a lot of presenters use props, some successful, and some…not so much.  Using a prop simply to grab attention at any cost is a cheap trick that often backfires in a presenter’s face.  Like anything in a presentation or