A good and effective presentation comes with the needed assistance to make presentation interactive and understandable. It reinforces and helps in clarifying the objectives. Appropriate visual aids create a sense of consistency and balance, and inspire a greater level confidence in the legitimacy of the information. Selection of visual aid should be done with utmost care and concern for the audience and to the information being presented. The subject matter of the presentation majorly falls in two categories:
- Statistical: To explain the audience financial data, use pie charts, line charts and bar charts.
- Illustrative: To explain the audience any Abstract thoughts, idea or concept, use pictures, charts, diagrams, model, etc.
Visual aids enhance the presentations- they increase the audience's understanding of the topic, explain points, make an impact and create enthusiastic impact. They are chosen depending on their purposes:
- Summarise the detailed presentation.
- Helpful to understand the complex subject in simpler form.
- Clarify and give illustration.
- Create more of an impact, for example, if presentation is on the health risks of obesity, it may show images of the effects of obesity on the body rather than describing this.
- Emphasise and show relevant facts in the support of presenting.
- Make a point highlighted to store in long term memory.
- Enhance your credibility and authenticity.
- Engage the audience and maintain their interest.
- Make it easy for the audience to understand the matter clearly.