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Business Communication

Learn how visual aids can generate interest, increase recall, clarify information, and add credibility to your business communication. Discover various types of visual aids and effective tips for using them.

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Business Communication

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  1. Business Communication Using Visual Aids

  2. The purpose of visual aids • Generating & holding audience interest • Increasing audience recall • Clarifying & emphasizing information • Adding credibility & persuasiveness

  3. Generating & maintaining audience interest

  4. Increasing audience recall • The more senses involved in a communication transaction the more likely the receiver is to understand the sender’s message and remember it.

  5. Clarifying Information

  6. Adding credibility & persuasiveness • Oral presentation with visual support is more persuasive and more effecitve from the audience’s viewpoint than are those without visual support. The audience is more likely to approve the ideas of the person’s using visual aids.

  7. Why use visual aids?

  8. Many possible types of visual aids • Overhead Transparencies (OHT, Acetate) • Slides • Flip Charts and Posters • Objects and Models • Handouts • Whiteboards and Chalkboards • Computer Assisted Audiovisuals (PPT) • Audio or Video (tapes, CDs, DVDs…)

  9. Flip Charts • For briefing small groups • Can be used to record audience comments and questions • Not suitable for a use in large audience settings

  10. Flip Charts • Useful in extended presentations where ideas are changed through interaction with the audience • Vital in group brainstorming sessions where ideas must be recorded, narrowed, and solidified in front of the group • Make sure the information is large enough for the entire audience to see

  11. Posters • Smaller audience sizes (except for marketing) • Posters are permanent and removable • Eloberate posters require extensive preparation and may be costly

  12. Posters and Flipcharts Advantages • Can be placed close to audiences • They can provide interactive communication • They can stand alone without explanation • They can remain displayed to remind listeners of key concepts

  13. Overhead Transparencies • For audience of 20 to 50 people • Necessity when giving a presentation in a room not equipped with a computer projection system • Old fashioned in some industries

  14. Transparencies • Advantages of transparencies • Projection equipment is simple and dependable • Speakers need not turn their backs to the audience • They work in well-lit rooms • Easily stored and carried • Easily produced • Can be eliminated during the speech

  15. Transparencies • Guidelines • Number transparencies • Maintain eye contact with the audience • Point on the projector, not screen • Keep relevant information hidden until needed • Turn projector light off when not in use

  16. Handouts • Their use allows speakers to go into depth on some points while skimming over others • They can be especially useful for complex presentations • They provide something for audience members to take with them for future reference • Handouts give a sense of security and ownership to speakers

  17. Handouts • Guidelines • Be sure about the quality • Include helpful lists, maps, tables etc • Be sure thay are up to date • Decide how to deal with them during the presentation

  18. Computer presentations (ppt) • Many types of audiences • Inexpensive and customizable • Needs to be well-prepared

  19. Tips for using slides • Use bullet statements when possible (no more than 7 per slide) • Avoid too much verbiage and clutter • Keep it simple (less is more) • Keep sound effects to a minimum

  20. Tips for using slides • Only use long quotes and/or sentences if necessary (in which case, bring in each sentence one at a time) • Avoid turning back to audience and reading too much

  21. Tips for using slides • Give handouts of PowerPoint slides before speech for audience note-taking (optional) • Use slides as your notes or use PowerPoint handouts for additional notes

  22. Tips for using slides • Use graphs for important statistics (particularly when referring to dramatic gains or losses) • Reduce walking in front of projector

  23. Tips for using slides • Build suspense for topic by leaving first slide blank • Avoid being tied to the mouse • Use pictures as metaphors or similes

  24. Tips for using slides • Use slides as punch lines for humor • Use pictures and/or clipart on slides to enhance the mood

  25. Tips for using slides • Avoid putting too much verbiage around pictures (Keep it simple) • Apply transitions and animations for effect (Don’t overdo. Decide what to emphasize.)

  26. Tips for using slides • Maintain consistency (For example, use design templates) • Be prepared for technical difficulties (Always have a plan B)

  27. Which visual aid to choose? • It depends on • Your goal • Your audience • Your budget • Available technology

  28. Tips for effective use of visual aids • Give handouts before or after speech only if not a distraction • Explain the handout’s relevancy to topic • Keep visual aids clear and simple • Avoid lulls while you demonstrate

  29. Tips for effective use of visual aids • Practice using visual aids • Make visual aids easy for audience to see • Set up before and discuss after the showing of video clips

  30. Tips for effective use of visual aids • Use pictures or other visual aids to spark a story (there are stories in objects) • Avoid using animals and/or children if distracting • Demonstrate a task by using how-to-objects

  31. Visual Aid Categories • Figures (charts) • Tables • Pictures and diagrams

  32. Charts • In a bar chart, the height or length of each bar represents the frequency of occurence..

  33. Bar Graphs • Include no more than six bars • Label the bars themselves • Label the horizontal and vertical axes

  34. Bar Chart

  35. Bar Chart (data reordered)

  36. Charts • The most frequently used diagram to emphasise the proportion or share of occurences is the pie chart. A pie chart is divided into proportional segments according to the share each has of the total value.

  37. Pie Charts • Avoid slicing the pie into more than seven slices • Label the pie pieces at or near the slice

  38. Ice Rink Expenses Too many slices

  39. Too Much Emphasis on Service, Too Little on R & D Research & Development Service Sales Production Marketing PR

  40. Pie Chart

  41. Graphs • Most suitable diagram for exploring the trend is a line graph in which your data values for each time period are joined with a line to represent the trend.

  42. U.S. Slowdown Produces Downturns in Other Countries How would you fix this graph? % GDP Growth 4th 2006 1st 2007 2nd 2007 3rd 2007

  43. U.S. Slowdown Produces Downturns in Other Countries % GDP Growth Europe = England, Ireland, and Germany Asia = Thailand, Japan, and Korea

  44. Line Graph

  45. EXAMPLES Example of a bad presentation Stand-up Example of a bad presentation 1

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