Dynamic Marketing Communiqué

Slide awaaaaay! Why does visual appeal matter during presentations? [Speak on the Shoulders of Giants]

April 29, 2020

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SURE-FIRE WAY #6: TECHNOLOGY

With the advent of laser eye surgery and high-quality contact lenses, vision has improved dramatically over the last few years. No longer do we need to make sure to use 18 point fonts or higher in our presentation slides. In order to pack every last bit of content into every slide, the rule of thumb is now “Use only 10 point font or lower.”

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Did you think there was something off about this week’s public speaking tip?

Hold on! Keep reading.

One of our firm’s education arms, the Institute of Strategy and Valuation, published an article titled, “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Presentations: A Light-Hearted Look at Public Speaking.”

Addressing the fear that goes with presenting in front of people, the article presents a humorous look into public speaking—including this week’s sure-fire tip.

We are well aware of the stress everyone goes through when they need to represent their brand or company in front of an audience.

If we could avoid being put in that position, we would.

But… that shouldn’t be the mentality!

According to the article, “If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.”

Public speaking is an important, learnable skill… we just need to practice.

Yes, it’s easier said than done so we’re here to help and share with you some useful tips!

Looking at this topic from a humorous perspective (instead of the usual serious and fearful way), we know that sure-fire way #6 is actually stating the opposite of what you should actually be doing.

Technology has become a good aid when people make speeches and presentations. This includes PowerPoint presentations that provide great visuals and data, to video streaming technology that allows more people to watch speeches on the go!

It has not only made speeches more accessible to a wider audience but also more interesting and eye-catching.

While technology is a great element to incorporate, it is important to also create a coherent presentation that represents your speech well.

Use high-quality images and visuals

You might have images and other types of visuals at the ready for your presentation, but they would not mean much if your audience can’t even get a clear look at it!

When presentations would have visuals that are too small, blurry, or hard to read, the only people who will benefit from it are the speaker and a few people seated in front.

That’s hours spent on preparing your presentation all for naught.

The slide example above contains sections that are very hard to read.

Do you think you’d still be paying attention to what the speaker is saying? Or perhaps you’d be more focused on trying to understand what’s on the slide?

Always make sure that you use high-quality images for everyone in the audience to easily understand. The higher the resolution, the better.

Use the right colors

Choosing the right color scheme is an important element of a good presentation. It’s part of the speaker’s responsibility to make the slides easy on the eyes.

You risk giving your audience a headache by showing them badly colored slides like the one below!

The colors on the slide are so bright. It’s hard to look at for both the speaker and the audience.

Always find the right balance and use of colors on your slides. In fact, the simpler, the better. Having colorful slides doesn’t always mean you have a great presentation.

Reduce the number of transition slides and amount of text

Lessening the number of slides or pages in a presentation helps make it more concise and organized.

While transitions can add some flair and character to how you present, going overboard would make it very distracting. It could ruin the flow and your thought process.

It also takes time away from your presentation.

Remember to only provide the essential information that your audience needs. There is no need to place all the data and text from your sources and research.

As a speaker, you should do the talking. Not the slides.

The important points of the discussion should come from you. Your visual aids should simply serve as a guide or support.

Choose the right fonts and font size

Choosing the right font and font size will determine if your slides served their purpose.

You want to make sure that the font you use is simple and readable. There is no need for fancy and overly embellished fonts. Standard and well-known options like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri are some of the better and most-used ones.

Font size is another important element to keep in mind. You want to make sure that it’s not too big and not too small. It has to be just the right size for everyone in your audience (especially the ones at the back) to easily read.

As a basis, you shouldn’t have slides with fonts less than 18 point size. 24 to 32 point size is even better to ensure better readability.

Slides are meant to be a speaker’s best friend. These serve as tools to effectively get the message and topic across.

It also helps your audience easily follow the discussion.

By following these helpful tips, you can make visually appealing slides that would surely improve your overall presentation and get your audience’s attention!

About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Wednesdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”

In a meeting with one person

…a boardroom with five people

…or a huge venue with hundreds of people

—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.

No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.

What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?

Every Wednesday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.

The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.

(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)

Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to present well will definitely give you an edge.

Have that advantage.

Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!

Cheers,

Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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