Chapter 12
Verbal and Visual Supporting
Materials
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Chapter 12 Objectives
• Identify with do’s and don’ts the following
supporting materials used in quality presentations:
explanations, comparisons, illustrations, examples,
statistics, and expert opinion
• Discuss the benefits of using visual aids in a
presentation
• Identify important guidelines for selecting visual aids
• List and discuss suggestions for designing visuals
• Pinpoint major guidelines for effective use of
PowerPoint
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Verbal Supporting Materials
• Supporting materials have three purposes:
– To clarify
– To prove
– To add interest
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Explanations
• The speaker describes the relationship between
certain items, defines a term or word, or gives
instructions on how to do something or how to get
somewhere
– Beginning speakers tend to overuse explanations
– Replace or reinforce the explanation you planned
to use with some other type of support
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Comparisons
• Speakers use comparisons to show similarities or
differences between something listeners know and
something they do not know
– Literal comparisons
• Shows similarities or differences between two or
more items from the same class or category
– Can offer solid evidence for your point
– Figurative comparison
• Shows similarities or differences between two or
more items from different classes or categories
– Never used for proof, but add interest and
clarify ideas
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Illustrations
• Narrative or story told in detail to paint picture for
listener
– Factual illustration
• Detailed narrative about someone, something, or
event that actually happened
– Seldom enough to prove point completely
» Follow illustration with examples
– Hypothetical illustration
• Detailed narrative about someone who could exist
or some event that could or probably will happen
– To be effective, must be possible or likely
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Examples
• Brief, factual references to specific items or events
that are used for both proof and clarification
– Examples presented in groups of two or more
usually clarify and prove more effectively than
single example
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Statistics
• Numbers used to show relationships between items
– Can clarify and add proof to your ideas
– Used incorrectly, they can confuse and bore listeners
– Can work if you follow these rules:
• Relate statistics to your listener’s frames of
reference
• Eliminate statistics that are not necessary
• Round off statistics to an easy number to
remember
• Demonstrate the credibility of your statistics
• Present statistics in graphic form when possible
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Expert Opinions
• Refers to ideas of an expert in the field, either
paraphrased or quoted directly by speaker
– Best when kept brief
– Excellent way to add clarification and proof
– Be sure to:
• State name of expert
• Describe his or her qualifications
• Briefly cite where and when the expert
reported this information
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Expert Opinions
• When paraphrasing , make sure you don’t
misrepresent expert’s ideas
• When using direct quotes, not only should content
be interesting, but as you read quote, make sure
your delivery is lively and convincing
• Make sure your audience understands what expert is
saying and your reason for using his or her idea
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Expert Opinions
• The six types of verbal supporting material overlap
– The effective speaker uses variety of supports to
keep listeners interested
• Don’t forget some supports are used only to
clarify, others are used both for clarification
and for proof
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Citing Sources of Supporting
Materials
• When supports are used to add proof, be sure to cite
your sources during your presentation, not at the
end of it
– Credible sources add to your credibility
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Citing Sources of Supporting
Materials
• When should you cite sources?
– Statistics always need a citation
– Quotations and paraphrases of quoted material
always need a citation
– Important facts or ideas usually need a citation
• Even if you put a short version of each source at the
bottom of your PowerPoint slides, you still need to
cite them orally
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Supporting Material
• Visual aid is anything presented in a form that
listeners can see to supplement information they
hear
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Benefits of Using Visuals
• Interesting visual aids accompany written or oral
messages
– Improve listener memory, speed comprehension,
add interest, add to speaker credibility
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Aids Improve Memory
• Days after a presentation, listeners will only
remember 10-25% of presentation
– Multimedia principle
• People learn significantly better when pictures
are added to text
– Contiguity principle
• People learn better when pictures are placed
next to words they illustrate
• In educational situations, learning is doubled when
pictures and graphics are used with text
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Aids Speed Comprehension
• Visual aids help us understand complex, technical
information more quickly
– If you include no visuals or only statistic-heavy
tables, you are asking left side of brain to do all
the work
• Run risk of audience mistakes in reasons,
information overload, and boredom
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Aids Speed Comprehension
• Right brain can understand complex ideas presented in
picture or graphic form
– Picture memory may be more ingrained because
pictures and vivid words are coded in both
hemispheres of brain
• Dual channel especially important when
information is complicated and/or is online
– Comprehension will be more complete and
faster if you present data in visual form
» Picture can serve as anchor to help
audience recall main points and concepts in
your presentations
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Aids Speed Comprehension
• Since visual aids speed comprehension, speakers
can present information in less time
– Audiences can absorb only so much information
before reaching point of overload
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Visual Aids Add to Speaker Credibility
• If you are in situation in which you have fairly low
credibility, visuals can be especially important
– Can overcome audience’s initial doubts and elicit
same level of audience retention as highcredibility speakers
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Video and Audio Aids
• If used with care, can add interest to presentation
– If you decide to add video or sound to
presentation, follow these tips:
• Make sure you include copy of actual audio or
video file in folder with your PowerPoint
presentation
• Keep audio or video clip short
• For instructions on how to embed, see Using
Microsoft PowerPoint in course text
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Electronic and Multimedia Aids
• When using computer-generated visuals, follow
these tips:
– Remember main point of using visuals is to aid
listener comprehension
– When using graphics, give oral explanation
without using written text
– Use sounds sparingly, if at all
– Select images carefully and choose best format
for them
– Make sure audience can see you when lights are
turned off
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Electronic and Multimedia Aids
• When using computer-generated visuals, follow these
tips:
– Try using cordless mouse or remote
– Look at your computer screen and audience
– Speak in conversational manner and don’t read from
visuals
– Before clicking to next slide, give oral transition to
next idea
– For specific techniques, go to Using Microsoft
PowerPoint in your course text
– Come prepared with backup plan in case of
equipment failure
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Whiteboards and Markerboards
• Usually preferred to chalkboards because glossy
white of board is more attractive and there is no
messy chalk residue
– Have several drawbacks:
• Make speakers look less prepared and less
professional
• Requires speaker’s back to be toward audience
while writing on board
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Whiteboards and Markerboards
• When using, follow these tips:
– Practice is vital
– Learning to speak and draw at same time requires
work
– Make sure your letters are large enough to be
read easily
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Objects, Models, and Handouts
• Objects can be effective as long as they are large
enough to be seen yet small enough to display easily
– Wait until your presentation is completed before
passing objects around audience for closer view
– Take picture of object and insert into PowerPoint
• Might use model instead
• Handouts can be a help and distraction
– Better to give handouts at conclusion of your
speech
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Avoid Major Mistakes
• People who view PowerPoint identified major things
that annoy them the most:
– Speakers who read off slides
– Complete sentences used instead of phrases
– Text too small to read
– Text color choices too difficult to read
– Charts too complex to decipher
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Choose Text or Graphic Visuals
• Text visuals
– Text or printed words with one or two pieces of
clip art
• Especially helpful during introduction of your
speech as you list your main points, during
conclusion of speech as you summarize main
points, and at any time when lists of
information are needed
• Graphic visuals
– Organizational charts and flowcharts, diagrams
and schematic drawings, maps, and graphs
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Decide How Many Visuals to Use
length of speech
______________ + 1 = maximum number of visuals
2
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Using Appropriate Type Size and
Typeface
• Common mistake is using text that is too small for
easy audience viewing
– Whiteboards and markerboards
• Be sure titles are 3 inches high and basic text is
1-1/2 inches high
– Computer visuals
• Titles = 30-36 points
• Subtitles = 24 points
• Text = 18 points (if not subtitle, use 24 points)
– Go larger if possible
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Using Appropriate Type Size and
Typeface
• Typefaces
– Sans serif
• Recommended for titles or emphasis
– Serif
• Good for text and small labels on charts
– Typefaces can affect readability of visuals
• Use no more than two different typefaces per
visual
– Use same typefaces for all visuals in
presentation
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Tips for Designing Text Visuals
• Keep the following tips in mind when designing text
visuals:
– Use no more than six lines of text or six words per
line
– Use single words or phrases rather than
sentences
– Use upper- and lowercase type
– Use a simple typeface
– Allow the same space at top of each visual
– Use images, larger type, boldface, and color for
emphasis
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Bullets: Use with Care
• Using bullets can be good, but if you use them,
follow these guidelines:
– Keep your use of bullets to minimum
– Follow the Rule of Six
– Make sure you cover only one idea per slide
– Never read off your slides
– Use picture that captures main idea being
presented
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Types of Graphic Visuals
•
•
•
•
•
•
Organization charts
Flow charts
Diagrams
Schematic drawings
Maps and images
Graphs
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Tips for Designing Graphic Visuals
• Simplify and minimize data using only what is
absolutely necessary
• Combine and round off data when possible
• Make bars wider than the spaces between them
• Always use titles
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
General Design Principles
• Contrast
– If elements are not same, make them very different
• Repetition
– Repeat visual elements of design throughout piece
• Alignment
– Every element should have some visual connection
with another element on page
• Proximity
– Items relating to each other should be grouped closer
together
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Tips for Using Color
• When color is poorly used, it can be a great
distraction
• Color visuals are more persuasive and produce
better recall than black and white visuals
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Tips for Using Color
• Quality color visuals follow specific color principles:
– To show organization, use different hues for
unrelated items; use fully saturated hues to
highlight most important information
– For figures, use full saturation for all hues
– For backgrounds and texts, select hues low in
saturation
– Use color to indicate distance
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Tips for Using Color
• Quality color visuals follow specific color principles:
– Use well-defined boundaries around figures and
letters
– Use high contrast between figure and
background
– Avoid colors that tend to look same at distance
– Avoid placing opposites on the color wheel
immediately next to each other
– Limit your use of colors
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Using Microsoft PowerPoint
• The following pointers should prove helpful:
– Start with one of the design templates that
comes with PowerPoint
– Use a rough-draft or more detailed outline to
follow as you sketch out slides for each main
points
– Activate Rule and Guides
– Turn off “snap objects to grid”
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Using Microsoft PowerPoint
• The following pointers should prove helpful:
– Build your own custom bullets
– Control what audience sees with simple touch of
key on your keyboard
– Embed “trimmed” audio and video clips into your
PowerPoint slides
– Conduct a technological rehearsal
Communicating for Results, 10th edition