Smart Ways to Use Visual Aids and Technology in Your Speech

To see more articles about public speaking, click on Speech Article Library

We've all heard that you can make a better sales presentation by appealing to as many of the buyer's senses as possible.

We've all heard too, that "Seeing is believing."

And because everybody has heard both these pieces of conventional wisdom, modern speakers tend to go heavy on visual aids when they have to make a speech.

Unless you do it right, relying on "PowerPoint" and similar "slide shows" can be a big mistake.  Here are some tips to remember if you have whiz-bang visual technology at your disposal next time you have a presentation to make.

Keep It Simple

People often overload their pages with too much copy for the human brain to digest easily. Remember the "Rule of 56." Limit yourself to five lines per page, and no more than six words per line. Edit aggressively to keep out superfluous material and redundancies.

Stay Consistent

Stick with the same font sizes and color themes throughout the presentation.

Choose fonts that are easy to read, like Arial, Tahoma or Verdana.

Use "identifiers" on every page. Identifiers are elements like name, company, contact information and so on.

If you use a logo, keep it the same size (preferably small). It's also generally a good idea to fix the location of the logo in the same place on every page.

Be Correct

Proofread your slides several times to make sure you don't have typos or mistakes. Give yourself at least several hours between proofreading sessions. It's also smart to have someone else check your slides too.

Be Prepared

Set up your equipment early, and test, test, test.

Before your presentation, enlist a friend of associate to stand in different areas of the room--especially far in the back--to make sure everyone will be able to hear you.

Do a dry run through your slides if possible in the same room where your presentation will take place.

Take Charge

Face the audience. It's okay to turn your head to look at the screen, but never turn your whole body because you'll seem to be talking to the screen instead of the audience.

Remember, visual aids are there to support you. But they should never become the star of the show.

Download a 28 page PDF report about making a dazzling presentation, written by one of the most successful public speakers in America? Click on Get Applause Now.