Using Audio/Visual Aids

Alex Gregory

New Yorker, Sept. 2003

3 Principles

Enhance Clarify or explain Make a point memorable?

KISS Method

Keep it simple and straightforward

• Don’t rewrite your speech on your media• Use KEY POINTS only and YOU explain• Keep the focus on you• Use pictures and media to help explain

• So many presenters rely on PowerPoint as being their presentation. I cannot stress this enough -- you are the presentation. PowerPoint is an enhancement to the presentation. Along this vein, there are two frequent mistakes made by presenters.

Too much textDo not write the complete content for the presentation on the slides. PowerPoint is meant only as an accompaniment to your oral presentation. If all you are going to do is write your whole speech on the slides, everyone could just stay home. Why would they need you?

Keep the text to a minimum on your slides -- use "jot notes". Three or four bullet points is plenty for a slide. If a simple graphic will illustrate your point, use it rather than text.

• Reading the slidesAlong with too much text on the slides, nothing is worse than a presenter who turns toward the screen and proceeds to read the slides to the audience. Again, what does the audience need you for? Email them a handout of the presentation and save everyone the time and money.

•Is your media visually appealing?

• Don’t use all of the crayons in the box

•Limit Special EFX