Presentation Aids

When you prepare your presentation, you should consider all possible visual aids that will help you convey your ideas to the audience in an effective manner. Of course, images and diagrams can go a long way in illustrating a point that would otherwise have taken much longer to explain and even longer to convince. However, we should bear in mind that just because we show a diagram, that does not mean the audience will quickly understand what the diagram is meant for. We still need to provide clear explanations to the audience. However, presentation aids can go a long way in making your presentation memorable and maintaining your audience’s attention.
There are many kinds of visual aids in the market today – the simple whiteboard, overhead projector (OHP), flip chart, video, handouts, props and in fact, you and members of the audience can even take part in role play. Before choosing any visual aid, you should make sure that you are comfortable using it and that the visual aid supports and complements what you are saying. Under no circumstances should they end up merely repeating what you are saying or distract from the contents of your speech.

Here are a few suggestions for making the most effective use of your carefully selected visual aids:

• During your presentation, you should be careful not stand in front of your visual aid and block the view of your audience.
• If you need to refer to your slides, try reading it from your laptop screen rather than turning your back to the audience and reading it from the projector screen.
• During your presentation, help the audience make the link between the various points in your speech and the details provided in the visual aids. Do so by pointing out various parts of a diagram or pointing to specific numbers.
• You should also carry index cards that will have brief notes like important dates, statistics or names that you have to get absolutely right.
• Before you start circulating handouts, think about what you want the audience to do with them. If they contain some information that they will need during your presentation, you may circulate them before the start of your presentation. On the other hand, if they contain material for future reference, avoid giving them before hand since they will only end up distracting the audience. However, do keep the audience informed of what you plan to do.

You should also keep in mind that whenever you use technology in your presentation, there is always a risk that you may face technical problems. Use the following tips to reduce the risk of such problems affecting your presentation seriously.

• If you are using a PowerPoint presentation, you should have it saved in a few formats like on a CD, memory stick and in your email account.
• Keep handouts and OHP transparencies ready in case there are problems with your computer or with the projector.
• Make sure that the PowerPoint presentation that you have prepared is compatible with the computer you will be presenting it on.