Posted by Ashley White on Jul 23, 2015 9:32:00 AM

Training Companies in USA - Top 16 Audio/Video Techniques Checklist

AUDIO/VISUAL PRESENTATION CHECKLIST

Have you ever wondered how much of an impact adding audio/visuals can have on your presentations? How about the most effective types of audio and visual techniques? We looked into the best practices and techniques used by top training companies to reveal the foundation for a successful presentation. Fact is, incorporating an appopriate balance of visuals and audio into your meeting agenda will significantly increase effectiveness and level of engagement. Surprisingly, many training professionals fail to use whiteboards, flipcharts, and handouts as aiding tools during important presentations.

Increased Retention

A recent research study looked into the retention rates of meeting attendees. Retention rates were captured under three distinct meeting structures: presenter only, visual demonstration only and a balance of both a presenter and visuals.

The training companies' research revealed the following retention rates after 3 hours and 3 days, respectively:

audio_visual_chart

Another recent study, undertaken by the University of Edinburgh, asked respondents to select emotional terms that they thought would be frequently perceived in a meeting.  The top answer – mentioned from more than two third of the participants – was “boring”.  Attractive audio and visual techniques, such as whiteboards, flipcharts and handouts, will draw and maintain the attention and consideration of participants.

So the old saying “a picture is worth 1,000 words” stands true…contract-1

Including audio and visuals into your presentation can have a great impact, and when used and managed properly, can be your best friend.  A visual is anything you show to your audience to aid them in understanding the point of your presentation. Visual aids are particularly important when the content makes demands on the attention or understanding of attendees, either because the data is highly technical or because the information is new and unfamiliar.

In our recent blog titled ‘Checklist for Facilitating Effective Meetings from Top Training Consultants’, it is suggested you first determine the purpose of the meeting.  The same principle of behavior stands true when preparing for presentations.  Too often, training professionals begin essential presentations with no clear structure, resulting in a failed attempt to have content properly ingested.

Download our checklist for effective meetings today!

Effective Meeting Checklist

Once the purpose and goal of the presentation is determined, a balanced combination of audio and visual techniques can help reinforce the material.  Although the purpose of the techniques will vary in form and intention, there are essential features all techniques should posses.

They should:

  • Have a definite purpose that aligns with the purpose of the meeting 
  • Be relevant to the content
  • Be brief and uncomplicated
The main thing to consider when choosing visual aids for your presentation is whether or not the visual adds to, or distracts from, your central objective.  You should justify every visual you use from the audience's point of view.  Be sure to design your presentation with a doable goal ("My audience will learn three ways to design a corporate training program") and then choose audio and visual techniques that speak specifically to your key points.

Topics: corporate training, training companies

Read More