1. Business Communication
Using Visual Aids

2. The purpose of visual aids
Generating & holding audience interest
Increasing audience recall
Clarifying & emphasizing information
Adding credibility & persuasiveness

3. Generating & maintaining audience interest

4. Increasing audience recall
The more senses involved in a communication transaction the more likely the receiver is to understand the sender’s message and remember it.

5. Clarifying Information

6. Adding credibility & persuasiveness
Oral presentation with visual support is more persuasive and more effecitve from the audience’s viewpoint than are those without visual support. The audience is more likely to approve the ideas of the person’s using visual aids.

8. Why use visual aids?

9. Many possible types of visual aids
Overhead Transparencies (OHT, Acetate)
Slides
Flip Charts and Posters
Objects and Models
Handouts
Whiteboards and Chalkboards
Computer Assisted Audiovisuals (PPT)
Audio or Video (tapes, CDs, DVDs…)

10. Flip Charts For briefing small groups
Can be used to record audience comments and questions
Not suitable for a use in large audience settings

11. Flip Charts
Useful in extended presentations where ideas are changed through interaction with the audience
Vital in group brainstorming sessions where ideas must be recorded, narrowed, and solidified in front of the group
Make sure the information is large enough for the entire audience to see 4

12. Posters Smaller audience sizes (except for marketing)
Posters are permanent and removable
Eloberate posters require extensive preparation and may be costly

13. Posters and Flipcharts
Advantages
Can be placed close to audiences
They can provide interactive communication
They can stand alone without explanation
They can remain displayed to remind listeners of key concepts

14. Overhead Transparencies
For audience of 20 to 50 people
Necessity when giving a presentation in a room not equipped with a computer projection system
Old fashioned in some industries

15. Transparencies Advantages of transparencies
Projection equipment is simple and dependable
Speakers need not turn their backs to the audience
They work in well-lit rooms
Easily stored and carried
Easily produced
Can be eliminated during the speech

16. Transparencies Guidelines Number transparencies
Maintain eye contact with the audience
Point on the projector, not screen
Keep relevant information hidden until needed
Turn projector light off when not in use

17. Handouts
Their use allows speakers to go into depth on some points while skimming over others
They can be especially useful for complex presentations
They provide something for audience members to take with them for future reference
Handouts give a sense of security and ownership to speakers

18. Handouts Guidelines Be sure about the quality
Include helpful lists, maps, tables etc
Be sure thay are up to date
Decide how to deal with them during the presentation

19. Computer presentations (ppt)
Many types of audiences
Inexpensive and customizable
Needs to be well-prepared

20. Tips for using slides
Use bullet statements when possible (no more than 7 per slide)
Avoid too much verbiage and clutter
Keep it simple (less is more)
Keep sound effects to a minimum

21. Tips for using slides
Only use long quotes and/or sentences if necessary (in which case, bring in each sentence one at a time)
Avoid turning back to audience and reading too much

22. Tips for using slides
Give handouts of PowerPoint slides before speech for audience note-taking (optional)
Use slides as your notes or use PowerPoint handouts for additional notes

23. Tips for using slides
Use graphs for important statistics (particularly when referring to dramatic gains or losses)
Reduce walking in front of projector

24. Tips for using slides
Build suspense for topic by leaving first slide blank
Avoid being tied to the mouse
Use pictures as metaphors or similes

25. Tips for using slides Use slides as punch lines for humor
Use pictures and/or clipart on slides to enhance the mood

26. Tips for using slides
Avoid putting too much verbiage around pictures (Keep it simple)
Apply transitions and animations for effect (Don’t overdo. Decide what to emphasize.)

27. Tips for using slides
Maintain consistency (For example, use design templates)
Be prepared for technical difficulties (Always have a plan B)

28. Which visual aid to choose?
It depends on
Your goal
Your audience
Your budget
Available technology

29. Tips for effective use of visual aids
Give handouts before or after speech only if not a distraction
Explain the handout’s relevancy to topic
Keep visual aids clear and simple
Avoid lulls while you demonstrate

30. Tips for effective use of visual aids
Practice using visual aids
Make visual aids easy for audience to see
Set up before and discuss after the showing of video clips

31. Tips for effective use of visual aids
Use pictures or other visual aids to spark a story (there are stories in objects)
Avoid using animals and/or children if distracting
Demonstrate a task by using how-to-objects

32. Visual Aid Categories
Figures (charts)
Tables
Pictures and diagrams

33. Charts
In a bar chart, the height or length of each bar represents the frequency of occurence..

34. Bar Graphs Include no more than six bars Label the bars themselves
Label the horizontal and vertical axes 17

35. Bar Chart

36. Bar Chart (data reordered)

37. Charts
The most frequently used diagram to emphasise the proportion or share of occurences is the pie chart. A pie chart is divided into proportional segments according to the share each has of the total value.

38. Pie Charts Avoid slicing the pie into more than seven slices
Label the pie pieces at or near the slice 15

39. Ice Rink Expenses
Too many slices

40. Too Much Emphasis on Service, Too Little on R & D
Research & Development
Sales
Production
Marketing PR

41. Pie Chart

42. Graphs
Most suitable diagram for exploring the trend is a line graph in which your data values for each time period are joined with a line to represent the trend.

43. U.S. Slowdown Produces Downturns in Other Countries
How would you fix this graph?
% GDP Growth
4th 2006
1st 2007
2nd 2007
3rd 2007

44. U.S. Slowdown Produces Downturns in Other Countries
% GDP
Growth
Europe = England, Ireland, and Germany
Asia = Thailand, Japan, and Korea

45. Line Graph

47. EXAMPLES Example of a bad presentation Stand-up