Inappropriate Presentation Tools for Business
In business individuals are commonly asked to present information to an audience in order to promote the company, sell a product, discuss an issue or voice an idea. Presentation tools are used as visual support for the speaker. Although numerous types of presentation tools exist to aid in this support, certain issues can make any presentation tool inappropriate and ineffective.
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Audience
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Regardless of the types of presentation tools you use, if you do not target the audience present, they will not be effective. For example, a school administrator giving a presentation should not use an overhead projector with transparencies and facts that only teachers would appreciate. Presenters must focus on what their current audience wants to know and how the subject at hand affects them -- and only them.
Repetition
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Business conferences often call on multiple speakers to present information or speak on a topic. The problem with these multiple presentations often occurs when every speaker uses the same presentation tools, such as slides, or perhaps a collection of charts on an easel. Consistent use of the same tools makes the tools inappropriate because after a while the audience will no longer pay attention to them. Therefore, the speaker must develop his own presentation methods, as well as ways to use presentation tools that are interesting and different.
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Language
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Two factors associated with language can negatively affect the effectiveness of presentation tools: obscenities and wording. In the business world, obscenities are never appropriate, especially when the presenter is attempting to make a positive impression on the audience. Consequently, if the presenter's language is inappropriate, the magnificence of his presentation tools will go unnoticed. The same can be said if the language used on the presentation tools is not easily understood or acceptable. For example, if the presenter is targeting the president of the company, the language should reflect the president's knowledge base -- not written as though she were a kindergartener.
Distracting
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Presentation tools become inappropriate when they distract from the message of the speaker, rather than enhance it. For example, a computer screen presentation that has extremely loud audio and prevents the speaker from being heard is pointless. Not only does the tool fail to support the speaker, but it also distracts the audience, thereby causing the speaker to lose control of the presentation.
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