Visuals can enhance your public speaking by making your message more memorable, engaging, and persuasive. But how do you use them effectively? In this article, you will learn some tips and best practices for choosing, designing, and presenting visuals that support your main points and connect with your audience.
The first step is to select visuals that are relevant to your message and your audience. Don't use visuals just for the sake of decoration or distraction. Use them to illustrate, explain, or emphasize your key ideas. For example, if you are talking about a complex process, a diagram or a flowchart can help your audience understand the steps and the logic. If you are talking about a trend or a comparison, a chart or a graph can show the data and the implications. If you are telling a story or a case study, a photo or a video can evoke emotions and empathy.
I disagree that visuals cannot be for decoration. In fact, I think a pretty template, cool cover slide image, and other imagery can help make the presentation more pleasant to view. Obviously, most imagery should have an impactful purpose, including showcasing data, highlighting trends, or to illustrate something surprising. Jokes go a long way to making a speech memorable, and stock images are very helpful for surprise reveals, especially if it's for a bit. The most important recommendation I could make with visuals is: Don't skip the visuals. A presentation with unreadable tables (called "eye charts") is not going to hold attention as well as a deck with some pretty pictures and a few select easy to see and understand slides.
The second step is to design visuals that are clear, simple, and consistent. Don't overload your visuals with too much information, colors, or fonts. Use them to highlight the most important information and eliminate the unnecessary details. For example, if you are using a chart or a graph, use labels, legends, and titles to explain the data and the message. If you are using a photo or a video, use captions, transitions, and effects to guide the attention and the narrative. If you are using text, use bullets, headings, and keywords to organize the information and the hierarchy.
Clarity of visuals is key for any speaker! People need to be able to see what you're talking about. You can have the best data and ideas in the world, but if people can't see them, what's the point? Clear images, large fonts, bold text, and very few words per slide is important. Protip: No font is too big if you're speaking to a large group in a big venue. One warning: Use presentation bullets sparingly! Some presenters include lists and lists and lists. Be careful about this, especially for large venue speeches. A few bullet lists makes sense, but don't go overboard if you can avoid it. If you have to use lots of lists, include imagery to break up a deck with a lot of bullets.
I love using visuals because they have a way of communicating to the participants. It grasps their attention and it helps the trainer communicate more with the visuals and save on having to many wordings
The third step is to present visuals that are effective, integrated, and interactive. Don't show your visuals without explaining or connecting them to your speech. Use them to reinforce, complement, or contrast your verbal message. For example, if you are showing a diagram or a flowchart, use pointers, markers, or animations to highlight the relevant parts and the sequence. If you are showing a chart or a graph, use gestures, voice, or questions to emphasize the main points and the implications. If you are showing a photo or a video, use pauses, stories, or examples to relate them to your audience and your purpose.
There's a saying "show them, don't tell them." But when it comes to speeches, make sure that you "show and tell" them. Not everyone may grasp what's going on, because of the topic, their distance from the screen, or they've been texting during your talk. The way to remedy these issues is to repeat your key points and explain what people are looking at when you share visuals. Make visuals crystal clear and make your verbiage equally as clear for any member of the audience to grasp.
The fourth step is to adapt your visuals to the context and the situation. Don't use the same visuals for every occasion or audience. Use them to suit the purpose, the format, and the expectations of your presentation. For example, if you are giving a formal presentation, use professional, consistent, and appropriate visuals that match your tone and your credibility. If you are giving an informal presentation, use creative, varied, and engaging visuals that match your personality and your rapport. If you are giving an online presentation, use interactive, responsive, and accessible visuals that match the platform and the devices.
This recommendation should have been at the very top. You always bait your hook to catch the fish. This means that you need to adapt your message, style, use of imagery, jargon, sophistication, and speaking cadence to the specific group you are speaking to. The way I speak to a finance group is very different from how I might speak to a government entity. The jargon, jokes, imagery, data, and frame of reference are all different.
The fifth step is to test and practice your visuals before your presentation. Don't rely on your visuals to work perfectly or smoothly without checking and rehearsing them. Use them to prepare, refine, and improve your presentation. For example, if you are using a diagram or a flowchart, test it for clarity, accuracy, and readability. If you are using a chart or a graph, test it for relevance, validity, and impact. If you are using a photo or a video, test it for quality, size, and copyright. If you are using text, test it for spelling, grammar, and style.
You can never practice enough with your visuals. Proofread your text and read your slides out loud. But know that no matter how hard you try, sometimes there may still be issues with your visuals. It happens. The most important thing is to make sure the font is readable and the text is both large and bold. Checking other parts of the deck is also important, but readable text is most critical.
The sixth step is to get feedback on your visuals after your presentation. Don't ignore or dismiss the reactions and the opinions of your audience and your peers. Use them to evaluate, learn, and grow as a public speaker. For example, if you are using a diagram or a flowchart, ask your audience if they understood the process and the logic. If you are using a chart or a graph, ask your audience if they found the data and the implications convincing. If you are using a photo or a video, ask your audience if they felt the emotions and the empathy. If you are using text, ask your audience if they remembered the information and the keywords.
Feedback is an important part of becoming a better speaker. The feedback usually comes from 1) critically watching videos of my talks and 2) giving low-risk talks locally. While I've been a professional speaker for 2 decades, I still need to test out new material. This is where local groups I'm involved in can be helpful. Every talk and speech I give is customized and unique, but I am loathe to give a talk to a large group that includes high-risk talking points that I haven't tested with a lower-risk audience first. Whether you want it or not, feedback usually comes in the form of applause, laughs, questions, frustrations, or bombed jokes. I usually ask for LinkedIn testimonials, which I can also use on my speaker site.
Some last thoughts… Select relevant images, create infographics, and use charts and graphs to present data in an easy-to-understand manner. Integrate videos to add variety and engage the audience emotionally. Design visually appealing slides with ample white space to maintain focus. Utilize storytelling techniques with visuals to convey a narrative that resonates with the audience. Consider using props for a tactile element and incorporate memorable quotes. Use animations sparingly to guide focus without distractions. Strive for a balance between engaging visuals and spoken content to ensure the visuals enhance your message effectively.
Keep your visuals consistent throughout your entire presentation. Establish a color scheme and stay faithful to it. Don't get too carried away; aim to use no more than three colors unless it's absolutely essential. Pay attention to the contrast on your slides. Ensure that your text and images stand out from the background by choosing contrasting colors for them. Steer clear of overwhelming your audience with text-heavy or cluttered slides. As a rule of thumb, limit yourself to no more than five words per slide. When incorporating images, consider removing the background to seamlessly integrate them into your slides for an elegant touch.