Bienvenu and Timm, Business Communication: Discovering ...

Bienvenu and Timm, Business Communication: Discovering Strategy, Developing Skill

Create Effective Visual Support Materials

Help Your Receivers Get the Picture


Agenda

Use visual displays to enhance message comprehension

Make the most of your visuals Deliver your visuals with confidence

and style Get feedback on your visuals


Use Visuals to Enhance Message Comprehension

Written documents Oral presentations


Why Use Visuals

People are accustomed to visual stimulation

70% of people prefer to receive information visually

Visuals help receivers get the message

Audiences remember up to twice as much when they both see and hear it


Visuals Help Writers and Speakers

Develop the content of their message Organize ideas and create continuity Strengthen the impact of their

message Clarify important concepts Provide variety for their audiences Use fewer additional notes


Visuals Help Listeners and Readers

Clarify and digest abstract ideas

Retain information Avoid boredom


Reasons to Use Visuals

Improve communication effectiveness

Increase audience’s perceptions of presenter

Boost speaker’s confidence


Visuals Improve Efficiencies

Decrease decision-making time 12%

Spend less time in meetings

Improve audience action


University of Minnesota/3M Study

Audience likelihood to act + 43% Perceptions of presenter + 11% Information retention +10% Information comprehension + 8.5% Attention +7.5% Agreement +5.5%


Software for Creating Visuals

Microsoft’s Excel™ Microsoft’s PowerPoint ™ WordPerfect’s Presentations ™


Make the Most of Your Visuals

Use visuals for major points Apply common visual formats Check visuals for consistency Avoid the misuse of visuals Use video or audio clips Use flip charts, white boards, and

chalkboards


Visuals: Friend or Foe?

Properly created visuals will reinforce your message

Poorly designed visuals can distract from your message


Use Visuals for Major Points

Limit each visual to a single point

Keep charts and illustrations simple

Follow the 30-second rule

Remove any superfluous material


Use an Appropriate Design Concept

Pay attention to the expectations of your school, organization, or company

Observe what successful people are doing


Determine Appropriateness

Define your context: your situation, audience, and objectives

Choose templates based on this analysis


Apply Common Visual Formats

Word charts Pie charts Line charts Bar charts

Tables Flow Charts Organizational

charts Props and models


Word Charts

State key ideas concisely and directly Are the simplest and most frequently

used visual


Figure 7-1

Rules for Word Charts

List only key points

Select concise, powerful words

Use parallel language

Limit material to six or less lines

Maintain consistent design features


Pie Charts

Illustrate part-to-whole comparison Focus on only a few broad divisions


Insert Sample Pie Chart

Figure 7-2

W ho’s P ay ing for C o l lege?

Work-study12%

Loans21%

Scholarships15%

Students11%

Parents32%

Grandparents9%


Line Charts

Show trends or changes over time Illustrate simple comparisons of

trends


Our Degrees Conferred

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

1960-69 1970-79 1980-89 1990-99

Bachelor's Master's Doctorate's


Bar Charts

Compare one item with others Include variations to illustrate

different relationships


Varieties of Bar Charts

Vertical bar charts Horizontal bar charts Segmented bar charts Grouped bar charts


Fiscal Year Gross Sales

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

$80

Millions

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East

West

North

South


Flow Charts

Show step-by-step progression

Simplify the audience’s understanding

Provide instructions or explain solutions


Organizational Charts

Illustrate the structure of a company Show lines of authority and job

responsibilities


Marketing Department

PR Assistant

Raul SanchezPR Director

Advertising Assistant

Jen NelsonAdvertising Director

IR Assistant

Jon RoystonInvestor Relations

T onya RackinsVP M arketing


Props and Models


Check for Design Consistency

Background (Template) Font Structure Capitalization Spacing Illustrations


Background and Template

Use the same template for your entire

set of visuals Choose a template that respects your

target audience Select high-contrast colors


Multicultural Communication

Sherron Bienvenu, PhDDeborah Valentine, MS


ACHIEVE YOURULTIMATE SUCCESS

Skills That Build Personal Value

Paul R. Timm, Ph.D.


FOUR POWERFUL KEYS TO SUCCESS

Know that you can

Focus your efforts

Tap into teamwork

Stay on task


Fonts

Use a consistent font Employ the same size and style

for all titles Employ the same size and style

for all body copy


Fonts Have Personalities

Tahoma Times New Roman Courier Comic Sans Bookman Old Style Arial


Serif and Sanserif Fonts

Serif Fonts Times New Roman Book Antiqua Rockwell

Sanserif Fonts Tahoma Comic Sans Lucida Sans


Limit the Number of Fonts

Use only two fonts per document Choose sufficiently different fonts Avoid “busy”documents


Font Sizes for Slides

44 point font (good for titles)

32 point font (good for body copy) 28 point font (good for body copy in some

fonts) 18 point font (too small)

14 point font (ridiculous)


Font Sizes for Written Documents

Major heads - 18-point type or larger Body copy - 12 points Title fonts should be easily

distinguishable Bold Italicized Larger


Structure

Break up the text using Bullet points Enumeration

Use parallel structure


Capitalization

Use capital letters sparingly in visuals Present titles using a mixture

uppercase and lowercase letters Capitalize only proper nouns and the

first word in each bullet


Spacing

Begin all titles at the same place Start body copy on the same line

Consider an alternate starting place for slides with 2-line titles

Use consistent spacing between bullets Use more space between bullets than within bullets


Illustrations or Clip Art

Illustrate your points Break up your documents Help your audience focus


Samples of Clip Art

Insert figure 7-10

PENNIES FOR PAWSNOVEMBER 3-7IN THE COMMONS

Sponsored by BBA 2003Supporting Canine Assistants

15% OF PROCEEDS TO WINNINGCLASS!


Use High-contrast VisualsGood Team Players

Transcend their team rolesTranscend their team roles

Time their contributionsTime their contributions

Show behavioral flexibilityShow behavioral flexibility

Maintain focus on team goalsMaintain focus on team goals


Avoid the Misuse of Visuals

Communicators misuse visuals when they: Make them too complicated Overwhelm the message


Video or Audio Clips

Add impact by using video or audio clips

Choose clips with motion and sound Create your own clips


Flip Charts

Are especially useful in problem-solving meetings

Record ideas shared in a group

Allow group to react to input

May be posted for easy reference


White and Chalk Boards

Exist in many meeting rooms and class rooms

Provide a large space to write


Deliver your Visuals with Confidence and Style

Double check your visuals Leave the lights on Use a remote control Face the audience - not the image Limit number of slides Minimize the number of transition types Turn off projectors when not in use


Get Feedback on Your Visuals

While designing your visuals During delivery After your presentation


Remember: Visuals Enhance Message Comprehension

Use visuals to enhance your message Plan visuals based on audience needs Create consistent visuals Avoid over-complicating your visuals Check your presentation visuals

before your presentation

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