I used to be against business people using props during a presentation. Too gimmicky, I thought. Plus, what happens if your props break or don’t function properly? You should not be dependent on props to make a point; you should be able to make the point just with your words from your own mouth.

I still believe that most of these things are true. However, if you are speaking for longer than 10 minutes and you do have a prop that makes your point more understandable and more memorable, then why not use it? This is my new attitude.

I’ve changed my tune because I test audiences day in and day out on what they remember from hearing their colleagues give presentations. And the sad truth is that most people remember very little when listening to oral presentations. So anything that can break up the monotony and therefore trigger the memory process, I am for.

Many business people already use a particular type of prop during a presentation - it’s called a PowerPoint slide. The beauty of an actual object brought in front of your audience is that it is three dimensional and therefore even more visual and memorable.

Now, when I am conducting a media training with executives who happen to like Ronald Reagan, I don’t just refer to famous sound bites from the Reagan presidency. Instead, I bring out a talking Ronald Reagan doll. This way, my clients can see Reagan and hear him say in his own distinctive voice, “Tear down that Wall, Mr. Gorbechev!” plus another dozen famous sound bites.

The puppet is used for only a few minutes out of a day long seminar, so it doesn’t overwhelm my presentation, but it does provide variety and a little comic relief all while making key points about the art of the sound bite.

So if you have some physical object that will make your points come alive, then use it. Just make sure you don’t become the ventriloquist overshadowed by his dummy.