How to Use Whiteboards for Presentations

Whiteboards are common display devices in business settings.

A whiteboard is a smooth board compatible with dry erase markers and used to display data and other information. Whiteboards are popular accessories for presentations to explain activities, show graphs or to present business plans and marketing campaigns in a classroom or business meeting setting.

Things You'll Need

• Whiteboard
• Dry erase markers
• Eraser
• Dry erase board cleaning spray
• Pointer
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. 

   Display your whiteboard clearly in the front of the room where all of the people in the room can easily see what is being presented and discussed.

2. 

   Draw your strategies or data on the board so that the letters or numbers can be easily recognized by the audience. Use bright colored whiteboard markers to write in big clear letters and try not to write in cursive handwriting. When drawing a graph, use different colors to differentiate between the graph and other descriptions.

3. Use a pointer to help your audience recognize the highlights of your verbal discussion by pointing to the corresponding data or graphs on the whiteboard.

4. Erase the data on the whiteboard in between different presentations. Use the dry erase spray if the data does not easily wipe away with the eraser alone.

5. Encourage interaction from the audience by asking if they have any questions. If so, write the questions on the board as they are asked, along with further discussions and any answers to the questions. Erase parts of the board if necessary.

6. Close the presentation with a final thought on the subject matter discussed on the whiteboard. This can lead to further discussion or serve as a final reminder for the audience to reflect on after the presentation.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep objects that obstruct the audience's view 3 feet or more away from the whiteboard.

• Use paper towels after you spray to avoid buildup on the whiteboard.

• Do not use permanent markers or other writing tools other than the specified whiteboard markers for the whiteboard, as this could cause permanent staining and ruin the whiteboard.

• Do not use other liquid solutions on a dry erase board as they can damage the whiteboard.

Resources

• Whiteboards