Much of my work involves live presentations. While public speaking terrifies most people, I am energized and excited every time I’m on stage.
But making presentations these days now involves a lot of technology.
Whether making a small group sales pitch or prepping for a large keynote speech in front of hundreds, most speakers now employ a variety of visual aids to help them get their message across.
Though obviously helpful, this added dimension can also add new hurdles AND distractions for both the audience and the presenter. Here are just a few:
* To use visuals effectively, a speaker needs to know the technology inside and out; this takes time to learn.
* Not every audience member enjoys visual stimuli. For example, I’m an auditory learner and actually find PowerPoint presentations annoying.
* Presenters can rely too much and use way too many moving, multi-colored visuals. This can easily over-stimulate the audience and take away from the core message.
* Putting it all together adds extra time into already busy preparation days.
* If the visual aspect fails, such as having a power outage or technological breakdown, a speaker who puts everything into it will be stuck without backup.
Action – The heart of any presentation is the presenter and the content, not the visual aids used. So, if you’re going to use visual aids in your presentations, learn the proper techniques for maximum effect.