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Do I have to use visual aids in my Business Presentation?

Home » Training » Business Presentations » Do I have to use visual aids in my Business Presentation?

Visual aids greatly enhance any presentation. Most people absorb more than 80 percent of what they learn through the sense of sight, and giving them something to look at while you�re talking helps hold their interest. So, while visual aids aren�t mandatory, they do make good sense. Visual aids speed understanding, lend professionalism and credibility, and reinforce what you�re saying by painting a visual picture.

Visual aids can include:

pie charts

bar graphs

photos

diagrams

video clips

actual products to see and feel

mathematical equations

cartoons

maps

symbols

lists

newspaper headlines

anything else that gets your point across in a visual manner.

Once upon a time, the mode of choice for presenting visual aids was a flip chart on an easel or an overhead transparency projected onto a pull-down screen. Blackboards with chalk and whiteboards with markers still have their place, too. Those modes still work, but to look more professional, you might try:

� Notebook computer flip charts

� Slides

� Videos

� Multimedia presentations

� CD ROM

� Computers

� Props

� Models

� PowerPoint presentations

And don�t forget about the power of handouts. Some people learn best by reading the material to themselves, so provide your audience with handouts they can review after your presentation for better understanding. Or even provide your Web address with a copy of your presentation posted there for maximum effect.

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