Presentation Handouts

Presentation- Handouts

Why do we use and often misuse handouts? Handouts can be gold for a presenter and speaker. You can involve your audience, and get them involved with the message. They can also be detrimental to you if used incorrectly

Handouts are useful tools that enhance most presentations. They are also another way to involve your audience. I provide handouts for virtually every presentation I do. One of the reasons is that audience members really enjoy being able to take something home with them.

There are a couple of great reasons why you should do this. It is a way to make sure they have easy access to my name and phone number in case they have questions or if they want to hire you. And you can give them a nugget of information that helps them remember the presentation.

PC programs make it very easy to create customized handouts for your presentations. These add value and are often prized by the participants and meeting planners. Why? Because it shows you didn't just download a generic one.

I always make a customized cover that is printed on coloured paper and use a graphic that pertains to the message. For instance, if I am speaking to local business people, I find something suitable to their locality and business. In this case I used a map of the town with an overlay of population and the image of a local business person. Don't be afraid to be creative. If it is customized to them, they will love it. I only use modules that I know are suitable to their group and many times I include quotes that I got from the attendees during my pre-presentation interviews.

I always try to put something fun in the handout. Humour sells so use it. This virtually insured that the handout would not be thrown away. Give the attendees a reason for using the handout when they got back to their offices. Brain Gym, Stress Buster so many simple humorous exercises are lots of fun and again gives my handout a longer life. Don't forget to use the footer to give them your details.

Cautionary Note: Whenever you give a hand out to an audience, you have temporarily given them control. Don't worry they only keep it until they have read your hand out, so don't even think of speaking while they are reading. But if the handout is engaging you all win.

Use it as part of their experience: Give it as a clue to an exercise you are running. Prepare an image and leave space for them to fill in the answer. They have come to listen and learn, so make it straightforward for them to succeed. Example: It takes only 4 seconds for a telephone customer to decide whether they like you or not.

Paul Johnstone is a Speaker, Trainer and Paradigm Shaker. Founder of The Paradigm Shakers and a Subject Matter Workshop Leader.

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©Paul Johnstone; The Paradigm Shakers

P.S I always appreciate feed back and comments