10.7: Visual Aids

One final caution: slideware can hijack development time away. These are powerful tools allowing the speaker to create detailed animations, special effects, and a plethora of visually energetic and stimulating imagery. The vast majority of these are unnecessary in public speaking, and the speakers can easily find themselves spending hours on an effect that ends up having little value. Instead, work for a minimal, concise, neat slideware presentation, and then put time into practicing with it to create a smooth, unified speech.

Speaking with slideware

Many of us have seen poor slideware presentations. One of the reasons audiences may dread PowerPoint is how poorly the speaker uses it. It is a tool and needs to be handled carefully and appropriately. Using it effectively can enhance the message but using it poorly can make the speech a trying time for the audience.

• First, and most importantly, do not read from the slides. This is one of the most common complaints regarding speakers using slideware. Most of us read fine, and to have the speaker read the slide to us is insulting. While the slide helps us focus on what is being emphasized at that moment, it does not convey the core message; that is the speaker’s job.
• A second major mistake some speakers make is speaking to the screen. While it is good to glance at the screen to make sure the correct slide is being projected and to draw the audience’s attention to a specific item, the speaker’s focus must remain on the audience. Always remember, every time the speaker glances at the screen, the audience follows even if there is nothing substantial to look at.
• Control focus. For the audience to take in both the speaker and the screen, if possible, stand next to the screen, creating a unified visual picture. If the speaker wants the audience’s full attention, they should take a step or two away from the screen while displaying a black or blank slide. Do not stand in front of the screen, in the light, or in a manner that blocks the audience’s view.As mentioned above, use the transitions tools in the slideware to control when specific items appear and disappear, but also use gestures to control the focus by pointing out specific items on the screen. For instance, if Kathryn is describing how horses are judged at a county fair and she has an image of a horse on the screen, she should point to the various parts of the horse as she describes them. It is Kathryn’s job to guide the audience’s focus to the key part of the image.
• Use a remote, if possible. A presentation remote gives enormous freedom to move, gesture, and otherwise vary the visual image being presented to the audience. Prior to speaking, it is crucial the speaker is comfortable with how the remote works and can use it quickly and confidently. It is important to know what buttons to use, and equally important, which ones to avoid (and how to recover if a button gets hit). How well the speaker uses the remote and interacts with the slideware influences credibility, so being proficient is important.
• Test prior to speaking. Make very sure the technology works before starting the presentation. Just because something worked at home on a personal laptop does not mean it will work in the presentation venue. Some technical issues to consider:
  • Is the speaker expected to provide the laptop? Or will it be sufficient to bring the presentation file to be used on the host’s equipment?
  • Is the host system compatible with the specific slideware program used?
  • Is there a presentation remote?
  • Is sound required? If so, make sure to test before the presentation.
  • Is internet access required? If so, is there a password required or other obstacles to getting online? Is the link fast enough for what you need?
  • How does the projector work? If connecting to a personal laptop, who provides the cables?
  • How far away is the nearest electrical outlet? Is an extension cord needed? Who will provide one?

The best assumption about using technology is something will go wrong, so the norm should be to arrive early, set up, and test thoroughly. Failing to have the technology ready and working is the responsibility of the speaker. Problems may be seen as the speaker being unprepared, hurting their credibility.

Using Visual Aids

In addition to the suggestions on using slideware, when using visual aids of any type, three overriding guidelines are:

Even when the visual aid is revealed, use gestures and movement to control the audience’s focus more precisely. For example, for a list of items on a chart, the speaker should gesture to draw focus to whichever item they want their audience to focus on.

Always remember, whatever the speaker looks at, the audience looks at. If the speaker keeps making nervous glances at the visual aid, the audience will follow, diverting their focus.

• Control Audience Focus: When a visual aid is revealed, the audience will focus on the visual aid, working to figure out what it is, what it says, and what it means. The speaker should have the aids visible only when they want the audience to pay attention to them. Determine the right time to unveil the visual aid and the right time to put the visual aid away.
• Practice: Being comfortable in the use of visual aids communicates preparation and confidence. Practice with them to get a strong feeling for when and how to manipulate them. If the speaker begins to appear less confident and less sure of what to do with the aids, the audience becomes uncomfortable, anticipating failure versus anticipating success.
• Limit Them: The speaker must carefully consider what is important and what is not. Too many aids shift the focus from the speaker to the aids, the movement of the aids, and the general confusion caused by the amount of movement in the front of the room. Fewer well-developed aids have more impact than using many.