Lydia's Top Tips - March 2003
Using Visuals
I was recently talking with Dan Cadman from the American Consulate in Madrid about the use of visuals in Presentations in English in front of an audience of about 300 Catalans and Spanish. The presentation was about 'Los Movimientos Migratorios en el Siglo XXI' in the Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain.
Dan very successfully led us through a powerful presentation that evoked strong emotion in many of the audience. How did he manage this?
First, he was very structured in his approach with clear sign-posting.
Second, and more importantly, he used appropriate visual aids to convey his message - in this case, photos on a powerpoint presentation. Appropriate visual aids are most often used in presentations where you are informing the audience or conveying ideas of a technical or explanatory nature, such as briefings, sales presentations or training sessions.
People believe what they see before believing what they hear. And they remember more of what they see and hear.
As your objectives include being believed and helping your audience remember what you have told them, the visual display of your facts and information makes a vital contribution to reaching these goals.
Your visuals should convey the meaning of your words and dramatize your presentation. In Dan's case, the photos were of immigrants locked inside the hull of a rusty ship with absolutely no way out and with very little air. This is a dramatic image which touches people's senses deeply, both visually and kinesthetically.
It is important to remember that a presentation with visuals is 43% more persuasive, and indeed Dan's speech was just that.
Return the archive of Lydia's Top Tips
Return the Community homepage
|
