Chapter 14 Delivering Presentations 425c Avoid cramming more than one main idea or main point into a poster or
transparency sheet unless it has a very specific purpose to enhance your
meaning (for example, a collage of photos of missing and exploited children
in your area).
c Put the transparency sheets and poster pages in order of use, and number
them in case they get shuffled.c If possible, use a pointer and stand near the poster to limit excessive
movement.c When using transparencies, try to stand near the screen instead of standing
at the projector with your back to the audience.
Flip Charts and Whiteboards
Flip charts and whiteboards, which are still common in professional settings,
have a distinct advantage for displaying words and ideas over posters and trans-
parencies: they can invite and organize audience participation. For example,
when presenting a new health insurance plan to a group of managers, a human
resources representative might open the speech by asking the managers, “What
aspects of health insurance matter most to your employees?” The audience
members may respond with comments like “flexibility” or “low copays,” which
the speaker can jot down on the flip chart or board. He can then refer to each
priority as he addresses them in his speech.
Whiteboards and flip charts are also valuable when you wish to “unfold”
an idea, step by step, before an audience, such as a coach using a board to break
down a certain defense or offense.
Collboards allow a speaker and audience members (whether in a profes-
sional or educational setting) to interact using digital pens and interactive
whiteboards (Alvarez, Salavati, Nussbaum, & Milrad, 2013). This technology
may therefore be a useful alternative to flip charts and whiteboards for getting
a high level of audience interactivity or showing your audience how an idea or
process unfolds.
Just remember that your use of flip charts and boards should never be dis-
tracting. In other words, your audience may become irritated if you’re constantly
flipping back and forth between pages or running around to point to multiple
different diagrams on the board.
Handouts
Handouts are particularly useful when your audience benefits from specific
information shared in or related to your presentation at a future point. For
example, if you’re seeking to persuade your classmates to utilize your campus
career services office, you might have a single-page handout with pertinent
information, like the Web address, office hours, contact information, services,
upcoming events, and so on.
In a face-to-face class, be sure to distribute your handouts at an appropri-
ate time. You do not want to create any unnecessary distractions with noise
from shuffling papers! Unless you want your audience to follow along during