Illustrating and delivering the presentation

PLAN.

1. Developing appropriate visual aids.

2. Developing appropriate audience handouts.

3. Practicing the presentation.

4. Delivering the presentation.

5. Post-presentation activities.

1. Developing appropriate visual aids

Presentation visuals add interest, value, and impact to oral presentations. Visual aids enhance audience interest and comprehension and help to tell your story, especially if it includes complex or statistical material. For example, one study found that the use of graphics increased a presenter’s persuasiveness by 43%. Presenters who use visual aids are perceived as being more professional, better prepared, and more interesting than those who don’t use such aids. Visual aids should be used only when needed and should be simple, readable, and of high quality. The quality of your visual aids sends a nonverbal message about your competence and your respect for your audience.

Visual aids for business presentations may be the following:

1) Transparencies and slides – inexpensive, easy to produce, simple to update. As a general rule, each slide or transparency should contain no more than 40 characters per line, no more than six or seven lines per visual, and no more than a large, simple typeface and plenty of white (empty) space. Use bulleted lists for items that have no specific order and numbered lists to show related items in a specific order.

Handle your visuals as follows:

1. keep them simple;

1. have them in correct order and ready to use;

1. use visuals smoothly;

1. give the audience enough time to read each visual;

1. remove a visual when you are finished using it;

1. don’t simply read a visual. Discuss it;

1. avoid letting your body block the audience’s view of any audiovisual.

2) Other types of visuals.

3) Electronic presentations – add multimedia effect, tell the story more effectively, offer great flexibility.

Practice using your visual aids smoothly and effectively. Confirm that your equipment is in top working order and that you know how to operate it. Try to avoid problems. Be prepared to give your presentation without visual aids if that should become necessary.

2. Developing appropriate audience handouts

Audience handouts supplement your oral information, provide space for note taking, and represent a permanent record of your presentation. Handouts are especially helpful when you are dealing with complex information such as detailed statistical tables, which would be ineffective if projected as a slide or transparency.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Include additional information that would not fit on the projected slide – details, background data, summaries, more complete charts, or sources of extra information. Keep the content simple, concise, and to the point. Organize your handout topics in the sequence in which you present them. Also, provide plenty of white space – both as a design element for readability and as space for note taking. Provide good photocopies. Use a legible font – at least 12 points in size – to facilitate reading in a darkened room.

WHEN TO DISTRIBUTE

The content and purpose of your handout determine when it should be distributed: before – if handouts contain complex data or extensive information; immediately before the presentation – if you intend to refer to material in it as you speak; immediately after the presentation – if your handout merely summarizes your message. Handouts provide a tangible, permanent record of the temporal presentation. In addition, they give a nonverbal message about you and your organization.