Why Presentation Skills are a Key Differentiator in the Age of AI

With over 90% of advertising agencies currently using or exploring generative AI, there are significant gains in performance, operational efficiency, and content creation/scaling. To truly capture the full value, you must closely pair AI activities with human delivery – through emotional intelligence, critical thinking and engagement - which is almost like connecting two opposing forces.

Very few agencies are actively mentoring and training teams to present AI-assisted work in an engaging and compelling way. Not just fast and better. It will be key to winning pitches, working more effectively with clients, and building more durable teams as technologies advance. Inherently, there must be an understanding of the three elements of great presenting: Charisma/Presence, Storytelling narrative, and Engagement.

Personal Charisma: Understanding the audience and their emotional drivers is an easy task for AI. Generating meaningful bios for key decision-makers can now be done instantly. That makes it much easier to understand rational and emotional drivers and inform the setup of the meeting environment. These are all signals to build a successful meeting.

Storytelling Narrative: How we build a presentation has changed. It used to be that storytelling was more emotive, like fairytales - more evocative than provocative. However, AI allows us to more easily explore data and make it the core of the narrative. Presented well, it is informative, entertaining and compelling.

Audience Engagement: Using questions to break down the wall between you and your audience helps them feel included in your content AND increases your credibility. AI makes it easier to have the knowledge needed to confidently answer, react and pivot by exploring “What If” scenarios while prepping for the presentation.

Smart agencies will provide regular training and upskilling for both client/expertise leads, as well as up-and-coming staff, to complement their AI capabilities with strong presentation skills. They will also include an evaluation of performance skills in annual performance reviews.

So, if presentation skills aren’t built into an organization’s culture and core training regimen, it will be a missing element in their equation for success. Ultimately, they will struggle to fully benefit from the promise of AI.