Visual Aids

Studies by 3M, the Wharton School, and the University of Michigan all say that listener retention increases 70-85% when you use visual aids in your presentation. People will remember 20% of what they hear, and 70% of what they hear and see.

Consider the following strategies in developing visual aids for your presentation:

• K.I.S.S. - keep it short and simple when developing slides
• K.I.L.L. - keep it large and legible. The print must be large enough to be seen from the back of the room.
• Be accurate
• Position charts horizontally
• Be relevant
• Be colorful
• Use graphics

Choose the visual aid that is most appropriate for the audience and venue.

When using PowerPoint, use lots of white space with no more than two types of fonts. Choose a background color that contrasts with the text. Use a dark background with light text. Yellow and white reflect light the best. Or use dark print on a light background. Don't use red text. It fatigues the eyes and makes it difficult to read.

And don't over do the number of slides. For a 25 minute presentation use no more than 20 slides.

For more information, read chapter 8, Seeing is Believing: Visual Aids, Knockout Presentations.