If you’re here, you’re probably tired of sending boring, static slide decks that end up ignored or lost in someone’s inbox. You want your sales presentations to actually work—to spark conversations, answer questions, and make you stand out. This guide is for salespeople, marketers, and anyone tasked with building presentations that don’t suck. I’ll walk you through using Showell to create interactive sales presentations—without the fluff, and with honest advice on what’s worth your time.
Why Use Showell for Interactive Presentations?
Let’s be clear: no tool is magic. Showell is a sales enablement platform that helps you organize, present, and share sales content. Its “interactive presentations” mean you can build decks that let your audience click, explore, and find what matters to them. You don’t need to be a designer or coder, but some planning and patience definitely help.
What’s good: - Centralized content management (no more “v7_final_FINAL.pptx” confusion) - Works well on tablets, laptops, and even offline - Lets you add links, hotspots, videos, and file downloads inside your presentation
What’s not: - The learning curve isn’t zero—especially if you’re used to plain PowerPoint - Some interactive features look slick, but aren’t always necessary (don’t force it)
Let’s get into the real step-by-step.
Step 1: Get Your Content House in Order
Before you even touch the presentation builder, do a quick audit. Interactive slides are only as good as the content inside them.
- Find your best assets: Product sheets, case studies, demos, videos, pricing calculators, etc.
- Ditch the outdated stuff: Don’t clutter your deck with old PDFs or random marketing one-pagers.
- Keep it concise: The goal is to let buyers choose what to view, not drown them.
Pro tip: Start with a folder on your desktop labeled “Showell Presentation Assets.” Copy in only what you’ll actually use.
Step 2: Set Up Your Showell Account and Workspace
If your company already uses Showell, you’re ahead of the curve. If not, sign up and poke around a bit.
- Create or join your workspace: This is where your presentations and content live.
- Upload your assets: Drag and drop your files into Showell’s content library. Organize into folders by topic, product, or whatever makes sense for your sales process.
- Get familiar with the interface: Take 10 minutes to click through the menus. Find where you build presentations, upload content, and share materials.
Honest take: Showell’s UI isn’t as sleek as Apple, but it’s practical. Don’t get distracted by every option—focus on uploading and organizing first.
Step 3: Start a New Presentation
Now comes the fun part—building your interactive presentation.
- Click “Create Presentation” (or similar—Showell sometimes calls it “New Presentation”).
- Name it clearly: Use something your team will recognize, like “Q3 Solution Demo” or “Retail Product Deep Dive.”
- Choose your layout:
- You can start from scratch or use a template. Templates are fine, but don’t get bogged down tweaking colors for hours.
- Most sales decks benefit from a simple, clean look.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over fonts and backgrounds. Focus on structure and interactivity.
Step 4: Build Your Slide Structure
Think of your presentation as a “choose your own adventure” for your buyer.
- Start with a simple agenda or menu slide: This is your home base. Each topic or section will link out from here.
- Add section slides: Product features, customer stories, pricing, FAQs, demos—whatever makes sense.
- Keep slides bite-sized: One idea per slide. Don’t dump a wall of text.
Pro tip: Sketch your structure on paper first. It keeps you from overcomplicating things.
Step 5: Add Interactivity (But Don’t Overdo It)
Here’s where Showell shines, but also where things can go sideways if you get carried away.
Useful Interactive Features
- Clickable links: Turn text or images into buttons that jump to other slides, files, or external websites.
- Hotspots: Invisible areas on images (e.g., click a product image to see more details).
- Embedded videos: Drop in demo videos or customer testimonials so they play right in the deck.
- File downloads: Let buyers grab a PDF or spec sheet straight from the slide.
How to Add Them
- Links & hotspots: Usually, you select the object (text, image, shape), then click “Add Link” or “Add Hotspot” in the editor. Choose your target (another slide, file, or URL).
- Videos: Use the “Insert Video” option and upload or link to your video file.
- Downloads: Add a button or icon, then link it to the downloadable file in your content library.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
- Works: Interactive menus, quick access to PDFs, embedded short videos, clickable product tours.
- Doesn’t: Overly complex navigation, endless branching, or cramming every feature in just “because you can.” If your audience is lost, you’ve failed.
Pro tip: Test every link and hotspot. Nothing kills momentum like clicking a dead link in front of a prospect.
Step 6: Preview and Test
Don’t assume it works—check every slide.
- Preview as a user: Use Showell’s preview mode. Click through as if you’re the buyer. Do the links make sense? Is it clear what to do next?
- Test on real devices: Open the presentation on your laptop, tablet, and phone if possible. Showell is meant to work everywhere, but don’t take their word for it.
- Ask a colleague: Have someone who isn’t you click through. If they get confused, so will your prospects.
Step 7: Share and Present
Once you’re happy with your interactive presentation, it’s time to use it in the wild.
- Present live: Use Showell’s presenter mode. You can jump to any section or answer questions on the fly.
- Share a link: Send a unique link to your presentation. You can track who opens it (helpful, but don’t get obsessed with analytics).
- Give downloadable assets: If buyers want leave-behind material, point them to the download links inside your deck.
Honest take: Don’t just email the presentation and hope for the best. Use it as a conversation starter, not a replacement for actual selling.
Step 8: Measure, Improve, Repeat
Interactive presentations aren’t set-and-forget.
- Look at the data: Showell lets you see which slides get viewed, what files get downloaded, and where people drop off.
- Update regularly: Swap out old case studies, update pricing, and fix broken links. Outdated content is worse than no content.
- Keep it simple: If sections never get clicked, cut them. If buyers always ask for more detail somewhere, add it.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Don’t try to impress with flash: Buyers care about answers, not fancy transitions.
- Stay organized: The more assets you have, the more you need a clear folder structure.
- Mobile matters: Assume someone will open your deck on their phone in a cab. Make sure it’s readable.
- Iterate, don’t obsess: Your first version won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
Wrapping Up
Interactive sales presentations in Showell can make you stand out—if you focus on what your buyers actually need. Keep things simple, make navigation obvious, and don’t force interactivity where it isn’t useful. Start small, test it in real sales calls, and tweak as you go. You’ll save yourself and your prospects a lot of headaches.