It’s a magical time for salespeople.

Mobile devices allow you to present from anywhere – cord-free.

(Cue the angels singing.)

Mobile devices and mobile apps support selling in so many ways. Tablets, smartphones and laptops give us flexibility while helping us maximize any opportunity to talk with a customer.

Whether the sales conversation happens in a boardroom or over brunch, the mobile device you have on you is a really powerful sales tool.

Once you’ve created that sparkling presentation on your desktop, make sure it works on the mobile device you’re going to use to present it. (Of course, if you use a mobile-first sales enablement app like Showcase, you’ll never have to worry about this.) Then follow the tips below to use your mobile device for effective sales presentations.

Presenting from a Tablet

First things first. Make sure your tablet is charged up and the sleep timer is turned off. I see too many presentations get derailed when the tablet shuts down. So take my advice and look like the pro you are by tackling these two basic things first.

Not sure where the sleep settings are on your tablet? Here you go:

  • iPad: General Settings > Auto Lock or Sleep > Choose Manual and enter a time period (or Never.)
  • Android tablets: Settings > Display > Screen timeout > Choose a time period
  • Windows: Settings > Power and Sleep > Adjust Sleep Settings

Next: Turn off your notifications. No one wants to see your boss instant message you about another customer. Or see that Aunt Tammy just “liked” your Facebook post.

If you’re presenting to a room full of people, you’re going to need a projector. You can either use an inexpensive and very reliable VGA or HDMI adapter to connect your tablet to the projector, or use a wireless connection device (which can be a little more complicated, so practice with it first!). If your presentation has sound, make sure you use an external speaker, too.

If you’re presenting to one or two people, you can present directly from your tablet. But please don’t hold the tablet in your hands! Every time you shift position – even a little bit – it jostles the screen and distracts your audience. Put your tablet on a stand. A sturdy stand. This one’s nice and it doubles as a keyboard.

Presenting from a Smartphone

The same advice applies here when it comes to making sure your device is charged, disabling the sleep timer and turning off notifications. But one thing people often forget with smartphones — because we use them so much — is cleaning the screen before showing it to a customer. A smudgy screen isn’t just gross to look at, it’s incredibly distracting to your audience.

If you’re presenting to a large audience, once again you’re going to need a projector. Your iPad adaptor cables will work just the same for your iPhone but other smartphones are a little more limited in their connection ports. For a hard-wired connection, you’ll need to get a composite AV cable that connects to the device via the ports you have (e.g. the charging port). If your projector has an app that enables you to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you’re good to go.

If you’re presenting to one or two people, it’s a somewhat casual environment and your smartphone screen is big enough, you can skip the projector altogether. This works great for on-the-fly presentations or pulling up samples of your work during lunch meetings.

Presenting from a Laptop

Presenting from a laptop is the most common method and it’s been done for so long, you’re probably already a pro at it. So I won’t bore you with the technical details.

But I will give you some advice that’ll make you stand out from your competitors no matter what device you show up with:

  1. Same distraction-elimination rules apply here: make sure the laptop is charged (or plugged in), disable the sleep timer and turn off notifications.
  2. Practice ahead of time. Make sure your familiar with your device, your projector (if you’re using one) and your presentation.
  3. Don’t start with your name. Capture your audience’s attention immediately with a great story, a surprising statistic or a provocative question.
  4. Move around a little bit. Don’t hover around your laptop. This makes the presentation more dynamic, and also gives your audience permission to look away from you and at your presentation deck for a moment – giving them a bit of a social-interaction break.
  5. Remember: You’re there to be a helpful resource to your customer. What you offer will genuinely benefit them. To shed the used-car-salesman feeling and get a better response from the customer you’re presenting to, shift your mindset. You are there to help.

Presenting from a Wearable

Okay, I’m not really serious about this one. Not yet, at least. Wearables have come far but we’re still a few years away from being able to project a holographic presentation from a smartwatch. (Or are we?)

But wearables like smartwatches are fast becoming powerful sales enablers. Here are five ways I personally use my Apple Watch in face-to-face sales situations.

Any Mobile Device Can Enable Sales Today

The most powerful sales tool you have is your own conversational skill, because effective sales presentations are really just conversations with your customer.

But the sales enablement content you come in with – your presentation deck, your spec sheets, your facts and figures – support the points you make and lend credibility to your words.

So look at your mobile device as a way to reinforce your message and enhance your image (or the image of your brand). You don’t need to buy a lot of fancy equipment to make a great sales presentation. You just need the mobile device you have with you, a sales enablement app that works on it, and the confidence that what you offer (your product and your knowledge) will genuinely benefit your customer.