Using Handouts In Presentations

When you think of preparing for a presentation, you very naturally start thinking about the content that should go into it, what kind of visual aid you would be using and then you will work on the effective delivery of this presentation. However, there is more to a presentation than creating visually great slides and speaking effectively in front a crowd. A powerful presentation always leaves the audience with enough material to think about and refer to later. And one of the best ways of doing this is in the form of handouts.
However, one of the most confusing aspects of handouts is when exactly should one be giving out the handouts – should you be doing so before a presentation or after? Let us look at some key points that we should keep in mind while distributing handouts.

• When you should be giving the handouts depends a great deal on the nature of your presentation. For example, if it is a very technical presentation or uses a lot of data and statistics, then it may be easier for a reader to follow what you are saying, if they had handouts with them.
• On the other hand, if you are going to make a presentation that is going to have a broad emotional appeal then giving handouts during the presentation may turn out to be more distracting. You may not be able to connect effectively with the audience who may be busy trying to read what is mentioned in the handouts.
• There are many differences in the way people belonging to different professions react to handouts. For example, marketing and sales or creative artists do not always like to sit and take notes; handouts may work perfectly for them. On the other hand, technical people, lawyers and accountants do not mind sitting down and scribbling notes; you may save the handouts for later. You may need to understand what kind of an audience you are speaking to before you decide when to distribute the handouts.
• Many a time, you may have content in your presentation that is difficult to present visually but which your audience must know in order to be able to follow the presentation. In such a case, distribute the handouts as each person enters the room so that they are done reading them before you actually get started on your presentation. This way they will be less distracted and focus more on what you are saying.
• When you distribute handouts before the presentation begins, there is another advantage – listeners can take notes at relevant places on the handouts themselves.
• Try to avoid distributing handouts during the presentation. You will not only lose time in distribution but you will have to reclaim the audience’s attention and get back on track.
• If handouts are not needed during your presentation, then distributing them afterwards is the best possible option. However, you need to inform the audience that this is what you plan to do, that all the necessary information that they need will be in the handouts and that they should focus entirely on the presentation.