Avoid the Ineffective Use of Visual Aids: Essential Presentation Skills Training Tips

Slides can be an incredibly powerful tool in presentations when designed and used effectively. Unfortunately, many presenters suffer from the ineffective use of visual aids, leading to disengaged audiences and missed opportunities to persuade. The term ‘death by PowerPoint’ was coined because of the common experience of enduring dull, cluttered, or confusing slide decks. Statistician Edward Tufte warned us about drifting into this mode without considering its cost to both our content and audience. To ensure you avoid these pitfalls, let’s explore how to use visual aids wisely and elevate your presentations with expert presentation skills training.

The Purpose of Slides in Presentations

Whether presenting online or face-to-face, slides should reinforce your key messages – not serve as a crutch for remembering what to say next. Visual aids create connections that are visual, kinesthetic, and even auditory, making your content memorable and engaging. The goal is to stimulate your audience in multiple ways so your message sticks.

Common Mistakes: Ineffective Use of Visual Aids

Even when people know better, I find in both my presentation skills training and presentation skills training online many presenters overload their slides with dense text, unreadable graphs, or distracting animations. When slides become a script to read from, audience engagement plummets. Using complicated charts without clarifying the key takeaway or packing slides with bullet points kills energy and focus. Visual aids lose their impact when they are not carefully designed or aligned with your spoken message – an issue that effective presentation skills training can help you overcome.

Michelle Bowden’s Slide Design Secrets to avoid ineffective visuals

1. Ask Yourself: Does This Slide Reinforce the Point?

If the answer is no, fix it or remove it. Every slide must add value.

1. Replace Words with Pictures

Where possible, use one clear, beautiful image per slide. Images should “bleed” to the edges of the slide for impact. If you need to compare two concepts, use side-by-side images.

1. Keep Text Simple and Readable

Use dark text on a light background, with a minimum font size of 30 point. Choose easy-to-read fonts like Times New Roman or Verdana. Avoid underlining, italics, or shadows. Highlight key words by changing font colour instead.

1. Avoid Bullet Point Overload

Rather than cramming bullet points into one slide, give each bullet point its own slide with an engaging image. This keeps the audience focused and allows you to tell a story rather than read a list.

1. Simplify Graphs and Colour-Code Them

Show only the important parts of graphs on slides. Use colour coding so your audience can grasp the message from a distance without squinting to read keys or labels that should have been removed!

1. Use Transitions and Sounds Sparingly

Keep slide transitions subtle and avoid distracting sound clips unless they add clear value.

Tips for using visual aids effectively

• Arrive early and set up your room. Make sure lighting is suitable so slides are visible without washing out your presence, but don’t sit your audience in the dark!
• Use blank slides strategically to shift audience focus back to you.
• Rehearse with your slides don’t use a laser pointer – they often distract.
• Incorporate handouts, props, flipcharts or whiteboards to add a spontaneous, organic feel and embed your point.
• Engage your audience with direct eye contact, clear messages, and confident delivery supported by excellent slides.

These skills are all taught in our comprehensive presentation skills training in Sydney or our presentation skills training online.

Case Study: Susan the GP

Susan, a doctor, once spoke about melanoma to a large audience of claims consultants. Instead of overwhelming the crowd with complex charts, she used one beautiful slide showing a bunch of colourful Smarties with one brown one in the middle. This simple, clever image perfectly illustrated her point about finding the rare case among many. The audience understood immediately, and her presentation was praised as exceptional. This is the kind of storytelling approach that strong presentation skills training encourages.

Making Technical Presentations More Engaging

Technical presentations often risk losing the audience due to jargon and complexity. Here are some tips:

• Know your audience and tailor your message to their knowledge level.
• Build rapport by mirroring body language, voice, and language patterns.
• Motivate the audience from the start to listen actively.
• Prepare answers for potential objections.
• Set clear presentation guidelines about timing and questions.
• Use whiteboards or flipcharts alongside slides to illustrate points dynamically.
• Be passionate about your content and highlight those parts with vocal energy.
• Make the presentation a discussion rather than a monologue.
• Use stories or analogies that evoke emotions related to your subject.
• Remember, you don’t always need slides – sometimes a well-crafted handout or a whiteboard session works better.

Case Study: Brad the Medical Specialist

Brad, a young medical consultant, initially followed the usual protocol: lengthy slides with tiny fonts and no eye contact. As a result, audiences disengaged. After learning how to design slides that support his spoken message and connect with his audience through targeted presentation skills training, Brad’s presentations improved dramatically. He received standing ovations and became recognised as a leading voice in his field.

Don’t let ineffective visual aids sabotage your message

Whether you’re presenting in person or online, poor slide design and misuse of visual aids can turn your message into background noise. To become a powerful presenter, invest time in presentation skills training that teaches you how to use slides as a tool for influence, not a script to read.

For those in Sydney or looking for flexible options, there is excellent presentation skills training in Sydney available. Alternatively, if you prefer learning from anywhere, consider some presentation skills training online. No matter your location, the right training will help you avoid the pitfalls of ineffective visual aids and keep your audience hooked from start to finish.