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We are a visual society; if you want your words to be remembered, give your audience something it can see. You have a complex idea to get across: Is there some way to display it visually? People remember 50 percent more of what they see and hear than of what they only hear. It's no wonder that visual aids are integral to the majority of speeches and presentations. Visual aids are everywhere today, and this chapter will give you lots of ideas about how to use them - and how not to. A visual aid is any sort of prop you use to support your speech. Charts, graphs, slides, photographs, handouts, and demonstration models are all visual aids. But always remember - you are your own best visual aid. The way you look, walk, use arm motions, and show expression (in other words, your body language) is a key part of your talk. Visual aids are especially helpful to novice or nervous speakers, who may not have the confidence that their own movements and animation will carry the show. Aids also help diffuse any nervous energy by giving you something physical to do. But as with any aspect of your speech, practice is vital. Visual aids that weren't rehearsed will show the lack of preparation, and will accentuate a speaker's lack of experience. If practiced thoroughly, visual aids greatly enhance your professionalism. In fact, I advise my clients and students to use visual aids in all of their presentations. However, visual aids do have their dark side: As any speaker who has had to come up with some will tell you, they take up a great deal of time and thought; they can take attention away from what you are saying; they are costly; and if anything goes wrong, they can be a catastrophe. So why use visual aids at all? We use them because a picture really is worth a thousand words. They portray - vividly and instantly - things that would take volumes to explain verbally. They save time, create interest, add variety, and help your audience remember your main points. Visual EvolutionOver time the character of acceptable visual aids has changed. There's more technology involved today. But some things have not changed. We've spent time researching the art and science of using visual aids, and here are some of the discoveries:
Remember that a visual aid is an aid to the presentation, not the presentation itself. A good presentation with visual aids is more effective than a good presentation without them, but remember that a visual aid is not a replacement for part of your speech. Done properly, visual aids can assist you in getting your message across. Done poorly, they can blur your message and lessen your credibility. Put Your Visual Aids to the TestTo make sure each visual aid you are contemplating will really add to your presentation, ask yourself these two questions:
How to Create Visual AidsA good visual aid springs to life after its creator has followed some basic steps:
Rules to RememberIneffective visual aids - and there are a surprising number of them out there - all share mistakes that the good ones manage to avoid. Here are some tricks of the trade to help you make your visual aids and your presentation look professional:
The Power (or Misuse) of PowerPointTechnology is a wonderful thing. Most of the time. In the field of visual aids, the development of PowerPoint and other computer-aided graphics programs allow you to create powerful visual aids yourself, without having to depend on IT professionals to create them for you. Like any technical advance, however, programs such as PowerPoint don't solve every problem. Many presenters now rely on a computer program for success or to give them an excuse for failure. You can NEVER rely on a visual aid to make or break your presentation. It is not the slide, the animation, or the bells and whistles that spell success - it's the individual who is speaking. One of the problems with using presentation software is that everyone else is using it too. In an article in an issue of Business 2.0 called "Ban it Now! Friends Don't Let Friends Use PowerPoint," author Thomas Stewart wrote that conference organizers will often offer to transfer your overhead transparencies to PowerPoint because they "want a uniform look." "Why in the world would you want a uniform look?" says Stewart, who, as a presenter himself, also has to listen to a lot of other presentations. "They're all the same. One speaker finishes, his last slide saying thank you and giving his e-mail address. There is applause. The lights go up, he unplugs his laptop and leave the podium, the emcee introduces the next speaker. She walks up, mumbles inconsequentially while she plugs in her laptop. The lights dim and she shows her first slide. It reads good morning. This starts at eight, goes to 12, resumes at one, and ends at five." So why use PowerPoint or any other presentation software? Because, done right, it can help your presentation be effective and professional. PowerPoint can be used for four different kinds of presentations:
Some presenters seem to think that a slide is a slide is a slide, and that simply having computer-generated slides makes the presentation interesting. The audience knows better. Here are some tips for making your PowerPoint slides most effective:
It's your purpose that counts, of course. That's why you should NEVER start designing your presentation by designing your slides first. By the end of my workshops, most participants end up eliminating at least half the slides they have created. Begin with a sheet of paper or a blank computer screen and start outlining what you want to say. Get the content first, and add the graphics later. Don't Keep Your Audience in the Dark: Avoiding the Pitfalls of SlidesSlides are a double-edged sword: They can effectively dramatize a difficult concept, but they also turn the audience's attention away from you, and your visual self is your most effective weapon as a speaker. So if you're going to use slides, they have to be very good for two reasons: to make up for the fact that you're plunging yourself and your audience into darkness, and to counter the tendency of most people to lose interest when they hear they're going to see slides. I have seen members of an audience deflate when they hear that slides are part of the presentation, and it's up to you to prove to them - very quickly - that what's coming up won't be disappointing. Your voice has to be especially lively and dynamic if your presentation takes place in total darkness after a meal. Try to leave some light on; what you lose in slide clarity you more than gain back in audience involvement and alertness. Despite the drawbacks, slides can work very well and are good visual aids for large audiences. Some situations really call for their use; for example, a surgeon demonstrating a new surgical technique, an engineer showing the ground around a new facility, and a real estate dealer presenting a property would all welcome the ability of slides to present in an instant what would take many words to convey. Sophisticated computer-generated graphics are common in both slide and overhead projector presentations and help speakers convey complicated concepts elegantly. Slides also give repeat speakers flexibility; they can update their presentation by adding or subtracting slides without changing the entire display. In fact, fewer and fewer people are using slides today - but they are still prevalent in some industries. If you have a good application for slides and are not using them to print words that you are already saying, the following rules of thumb will help you produce effective ones:
The Overhead Projector: Not Yet ObsoleteThat old standby, the overhead projector, is still a helpful tool for many presentations. I use it because I do not use words on my visuals - only drawings. Many of my clients who are very involved in delivering teaching presentations have joined the ranks of companies that prefer overhead projectors. Here's why:
Keys to good transparencies include limiting yourself to six words per line and using display-size print that is large enough to ensure good visibility. You can also use clip art, preprinted borders, and attention-getting designs. Overlays can provide color for even more interesting visuals. Number your transparencies so that if they are somehow shuffled, you can sort them out easily. Enhance Your DeliveryWhen you add the extra element of an overhead projector, you need to adjust your delivery accordingly. Here are some tips for a smooth presentation:
Plan for the UnexpectedYou can avoid most common problems with overhead projectors through careful preparation and by assuming responsibility for the logistical details:
Points About Laser PointersCommercial laser pointers were designed to assist speakers when giving lectures or business presentations. The laser pointer beam produces a small dot of light on any object at which it is aimed. It can be an effective tool for drawing an audience's attention to a particular point on a slide or overhead, especially when you're speaking to a large audience and the slide is projected at a great distance. However, like all other technological advances, it has its down side. It's difficult to hold the pointer steadily focused on the point you're stressing. What happens then is that the laser beam goes jumping around the slide like Tinkerbell flying around the Lost Boys, and the audience gets lost trying to follow the light. Also, remember that a laser pointer is not a toy. The Laser Institute of America points out that the laser light can pose a risk to the eye if used incorrectly. They recommend:
VideosVideos are being used increasingly by firms with sizable production budgets. This medium is characterized by high price and a lack of flexibility: Videos are not only hard to update inexpensively, but also can't be controlled by the presenter. Because the speaker has to stop the video to comment, most video presentations are designed for continuous viewing. Videos make up for their drawbacks in sophistication and power. They most closely resemble the television and cinema experiences by which people are so swayed, and production can be very slick indeed. When both budget and occasion call for a powerful presentation, videos are particularly effective. If you ever use video, get to the site well in advance to check the setup. Nothing messes up a presentation faster than a DVD player that won't work. Flip ChartsBelieve it not, a flip chart is my favorite visual aid - actually two flip charts on either side of the stage or speaking area. They force you to move horizontally, which creates greater action and attention than moving forward and backward. Flip charts are very good for smaller audiences. You can prepare them beforehand, or illustrate them as you go along. They can be actual cardboard displays, or simply an easel and a large pad. Follow these steps as you use flip charts:
As with any visual aid, once you've used your flip chart, you need to find a way to get rid of it. You might want to use your flip chart at different times in your talk, so the best thing to do is to have a neutral page after every picture or sequence. This can be a blank page, or one containing a symbol or picture relevant to your whole presentation. ChalkboardsChalkboards are also good visual aids for small audiences, if you follow these hints:
Special Hint for Chalkboards and Flip ChartsTo draw straight lines and perfect circles, trace them very faintly in pencil or with chalk before your presentation. Then draw over the lines during your speech; your audience will think you're a latter-day Leonardo da Vinci. Models and ObjectsModels and objects are limited to small groups. Good ones tend to be expensive, costly to duplicate, and often unwieldy. Models require ongoing narration from the speaker to come to life, but this need means that the presenter has flexibility and can change the speech to fit the audience. As with videos, models work best when the situation really calls for them. When you pass out objects, samples, handouts, or other materials as visual aids, you lose attention as you do so. Don't introduce vital new points at that time; rather, use the time to summarize or to describe the object being distributed. HandoutsHandouts are visual aids the audience can manipulate, so it's important to manage their presentation in a way that keeps you in control. Make it clear what you expect your audience to do with your handouts. Don't give them out without first talking about the ideas they contain, or people will start to read ahead of where you are and you'll lose control. Audience members are a lot more likely to remember things when they write them down, even if they never go back and look at their notes again. That's why handouts with questions and fill-in-the-blanks can be a good way to help an audience retain your information and message. Save time and confusion and create a polished impression by counting handouts ahead of time. You'll need to know the number of rows and the number of people in each row. Try to be creative with your handouts. Avoid using typed lists, use drawings or other artwork where appropriate. The cardinal rule for visual aids also applies to handouts: They must have a clear purpose and contribute something you could not convey verbally. Pictures That Tell Your StoryThe best visual aids are a kind of shorthand. Charts and illustrations are the visual aids used most commonly and effectively by the creators of slides, transparencies, and flip charts. Charts are inherently flexible and can show graphs (bar, pie, or line), organizational relationships, cause and effect, and how one event relates to another (flow chart). It's up to your imagination. Whether a diagram, cartoon, map, or original artwork, illustrations make visual aids visual and keep them from looking like typed restatements of your speech. Not Just for Public SpeakersVisual aids - especially flip charts - are helpful for staff meetings and client discussions. They help reinforce your points and make you appear more polished and better prepared. You will make an impact because not many people use visual aids in these situations. Just watch everyone perk up the first time you use visual aids at a staff meeting. A Final Caveat From MurphyBill Gates, founder of Microsoft, stood up on stage before a worldwide audience to introduce his newest version of the computer operating system Windows. He and a colleague were demonstrating how easy it was to add peripheries onto the program. The colleague plugged in a scanner and waited for a message saying, "your new device has been loaded" to pop up on the giant screen behind him. Instead, the screen went blue and the dreaded "fatal error" message flashed behind them. There was some sort of glitch, and his powerful computer-aided graphics programs were not working. If the richest man in the world, the man who invented much of the way we use computers today, had problems with his presentations, chances are that, at some point, you will encounter an embarrassing problem or two. Nowhere does Murphy's Law apply so well as with visual aids: If anything can go wrong, it will. To help you counter this law, a checklist is included that follows below. Use it and you'll always be prepared. Just as Boy Scouts have their motto - "Always be prepared" - a speaker using visual aids must also have a motto - "Always have an alternative plan." And often that alternative plan rests with you. Visual aids can be wonderful devices, but you should never feel you can't deliver a good speech without them; you can. And at all times, just in case, you should be able to. Vivid, instantaneous, exciting, and colorful are adjectives that can apply to your speech if you use good visual aids. Of course, a master of words can get praise like this for prose alone. But powerful speakers use visual aids to get themselves that much closer to presentation excellence. The next chapter, on stage managing, will show you how to ensure excellence and a smooth show by controlling environmental factors that affect your speech in general and your visual aids in particular. Professional Projects: Creative Visuals
Audiovisual ChecklistHere is a list of questions that you can use before every presentation to make sure that your visual aids are relevant, effective, and help make your message clear.
Westside Toastmasters on MeetupWhat should the speaker do when using a visual aid?Visual aids must be clear, concise and of a high quality. Use graphs and charts to present data. The audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time - use visual aids to highlight your points. One message per visual aid, for example, on a slide there should only be one key point.
What are 4 tips for creating effective visual aids?Developing Effective Visuals. Keep it simple. Your slides should complement your verbal message, not detract from it by unnecessary visual clutter. ... . Limit bullet points and text. ... . Use high-quality graphics. ... . Use appropriate charts. ... . Choose your fonts well. ... . Spend time in the slide sorter.. How do visual aids help speakers in their presentation?The purpose of a visual aid is to engage the audience, boost their understanding of your content, ignite an emotional response, and help you convey important messaging—but it is never a substitute for preparation.
What are five 5 guidelines you would recommend for using visual aids?General Guidelines. Keep it simple. ... . Keep your audience in mind when designing your visual aids. ... . Proofread very carefully. ... . Fonts should be clear and easy to read. ... . Colored fonts should have a dark background (dark blue is best) with primary titles in either yellow or white and secondary titles in the remaining color.. |