Sound and visual aids are a powerful tool that can really enhance your presentation. Words, images, and sounds presented in various forms can appeal to audiences more than just spoken words. In addition, sound and images can help to capture audience interest, illustrate main points, and make a more powerful impact. Images give audiences a chance to visualize what you are saying, while sound can add emphasis to your spoken points. Let’s examine a few reasons why sound and images are so important in a presentation.
Images Save You Time
We have all heard the phrase “A picture is worth 1,000 words.†This statement is especially true when applied to presentations. Presenters will save a tremendous amount of time by using meaningful images. Rather than typing hundreds of words on slides, the presenter can simply use images that will convey their message. Of course, visuals are not meant to replace text entirely, but presenters can easily trade many of their bullet points for images.
Audio and Visuals Capture Audience Attention
Presenters can change the entire dynamic of their presentation by adding interesting sounds and visuals. Most bullet points can be replaced with stunning images that will captivate audiences and hold their attention. The quickest way to bore audiences is to throw a bunch of text and bullet points onto the screen. Instead, add visuals such as photographs, graphics, animation, and even video clips to illustrate your points.
Sounds and Images Help the Audience Understand
Think about any college class you ever attended where your professor just talked from a podium the entire time. How much of that information did you retain? Now, think about a professor that used slideshows, graphs, charts, and other visuals. How much easier was that material to understand? Our brains process visuals much quicker than text, so you are setting your audience up for failure if you do not include images in your presentation. If you are speaking while you have a slide full of text, you are going to overwhelm and confuse your audience. On the other hand, if you are speaking while an image is displayed, your audience will have a better understanding of the information being presented.
People are More Likely to Remember Sounds and Images
We have all gotten a song or jingle stuck in our head at some point. You hear it repeatedly in your mind and although it might drive you crazy, you sure do remember the commercial! The same concept can be applied to presentations. People are more likely to remember pictures, video clips, and songs. Audio and images are a great way to make the information stick in the minds of the audience.
