Unit 10: Using Your Presentation Aids
In Unit 6, we discussed how to create or prepare your presentation aids; here, we explore how to use them during your actual presentation. Using your presentation aids successfully involves revealing each slide when it is germane, integrating the material into your speech, concealing your presentation aids as soon as you finish discussing them, and moving on. Do not read your presentation aid verbatim. Be prepared if the technology fails. These rules apply to face-to-face and online presentations.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- reveal and conceal presentation aids appropriately; and
- describe various ways to respond to potential presentation aid failures.
- reveal and conceal presentation aids appropriately; and
10.1: Prior to Your Presentation
Arrive early or log in to your presentation platform as soon as possible to make sure the technology is compatible with your computer and will display your materials properly. Knowing your materials will display correctly will help you confidently take the physical or online stage.
Make sure all of your visuals display correctly. For example, make sure the graphics, photographs, and videos are not skewed, fuzzy, or distorted when displayed on the "big screen". You may need to make adjustments!
Make sure you can access your slides and files quickly and easily. Know where everything is in case you need to reorder them during the presentation. For example, you may need to revisit a slide or find one you decided to exclude if someone in the audience asks about it. You may need to skip slides if you discover your audience is not interested in certain materials or shorten your presentation due to an unanticipated time constraint.
Read this short article, which summarizes standard presentation options.
Watch this video, which shows how presentation aids can distract your audience. In this example, viewers may spend more time deciphering the charts than listening to the speaker's words. Notice how the speaker spends more time looking at his visuals than his audience!
This article walks you through the process of creating an effective slideshow and preparing and using other visuals effectively and with maximum impact. Take a moment to read through the guidelines that will help you achieve your speaking goals!
10.2: Revealing and Concealing Your Presentation Aids
During your presentation, your audience should be focused on you. You control what the audience sees. Wait to unveil the appropriate slide until the moment you reference it. Discuss the image or idea, allow your audience enough time to digest the media, and conceal it by removing it from the screen afterward so the audience is not distracted. Think about your presentation aids as if your audience is dining in a fine restaurant. The server presents your plate when your meal is ready and removes it when you finish eating, leaving the space in front of you empty, ready for the next course.
When you are not directly referencing your slide or presentation aid, make sure your audience has something to look at that is not too distracting, such as a large chunk of text or an interesting image. This is a good practice whether you are presenting virtually or in person.
Read this text for practical guidelines for using your presentation aid effectively.
Technology can fail, and recognizing that is critical to being prepared to deliver a successful presentation. This short article will help you set yourself up for success, even when things go wrong. Planning makes a difference!