Business CommunicationChapter 13

Visual AidsTamoor Hameed. Abid Sheikh. Sajjad Raza. BBA (Hons). 4th Semester

Visual aids are an important tool because different people respond to different learning modalities. Visual aids also add interest to a discussion.

Basically Visual Aids develop an interest of audience in the topic, maintain their retention because audience have limited span of interest and immediately, bored.

before starting to set visual aids about presentation , we must have to concentrate about the occasion in which you have to communicate. Either the occasion is Formal or Semiformal or Informal.

Visual aids :

Appropriate formality:

Person may use either slides or overhead transparencies or flip charts.

Person may use either charts or dramatic effects or written material.

Person may use writing boards, flip charts or even whatever , want to use , to illustrate .

Necessary function : When tone of presentation has been specified , even after that the material should crowded in the modalities of visual aids. In these circumstances , presenter started slapping up selected modality .

These are few modalities of visual aids

Word Chart:

Obviously word chart is about words. Seldom word chart also known as agenda chart.It contains material which is about to communicate in couples of word rather than any diagram or picture.

Whether it’s on flipchart, slide , board , or even a handout.

Graph: It’s a true visual aid. It makes the demonstration of calculations , very easier to understand, even nontechnical person can easily understand the calculations.

Sorts of graph:

Clear message tittle and supporting:Effective visual aids have two characteristics , message should be clear and relevant to the context .

Example: Market share in 1983 was 21%. Market share has decreased.

Here are few features along this.

Easy readability:

The message of visual aid should be easy to read, and built interest of audience.

Uncluttered design:

The material shouldn’t be so much over designed or crowded.

Chart Junk:

This sort of chart is usually gets overdesigned or crowded material in it which could be difficult to understand.

The message should be clear and précised which reveals the complete meaning.

Clear words and clear letters:Its not needed to write a complete script in visual aids., but the necessity is just put the important points of context .

Lettering:

Choose Your Visual Aid Equipment: At different occasions people choose different modalities , as a example in brainstorming probably person choose a chalk-board or a flip chart which are easy to use.

Animated Projection: A first modality of equipment , animated projection gets film and video clip. This source is very effective to demonstrate any thing in motion.

Film :A kind of animated projection . There are two common formats

1: 16 mm plays only on 16mm projector.2: 8mm plays only on 8 mm projector

16mm format is more common ,but 8 mm format is compact, travels more easily and has a good quality.

Video :

The second type of animated projection is the videodisc. The biggest advantage over film is that you can easily stop and start them, interrupt ,backspace or freeze.

Still Projections :

If person haven’t need to show motivation , person can choose three different kinds of still projection.

1: Slides

Slides are more useful when a presenter about to to represent on multimedia . for the sake of slides presenter represents either on projectors or screens.

Its easier to arrange data on slides as a person want to do .

Overhead Transparencies :

Overhead transparencies also known as acetates and common in business presentation. The equipment consist of the transparencies and projector

No Projection Visuals:Other visual aids do not involve projection as chart, board , and handout Chart :

A large piece of paper used to make some piece of art , diagram , or to write some material by hand. Chart equipment is so much cheaper and less complicated.

Example : Flip chart , cardboard chart , desk-top charts.Boards:

Board is like a chart , have the advantage of being used in bright light. They often elicit the most audience interaction and spontaneous to prepare.

Handouts:

Handouts are the final kind of visual aid. Handouts have no enormous advantage over the other kind of of visual aids , but its easy to create and it could be created in a little bit time

General Techniques for all Visuals: Become familiar with the nature of equipment . Sometime good speakers got failed to properly demonstrate their material in presentation because they haven’t a proper Information to use their selected visual aid.

once you know about equipment ,Practice integration every visual smoothly in to your presentation. It’s hard to believe how often presentation puts up a visual aid and continues Talking with the faintest reference to it. Specific Techniques for a certain kinds of Visual Aids It would be better for presenter to concentrate on these techniques to control their visual aids in better way.

Writing :

In visual aids , the sentences should not be so longer as these just loose their importance and become waste. In these circumstances audience get bore

Projecting:

In the presentation by slides or transparencies , presenter should concentrate on time limit , because slides or transparencies are running like a stream.

Pointing :

Presenter should concentrate that material of visual aid should not hide behind the speaker.