7
2.2
Provide Visual Info Exactly When Needed
Think of school lessons provided on old-fashioned blackboards. The teachers talk
as they write down on the board. And you can be sure that the teachers provide the
visual information at the exact same time they talk about it. Why? Can one really
talk about something while writing about something else? On the blackboard, the
teacher provides visual info perfectly timed with the auditive info. That’s ideal.
Unfortunately, in the vast majority of slide presentations, visual information is
provided way ahead of it being discussed by the speaker.
And what happens when visual info is provided ahead of time? The audience
starts analyzing the visual info (reading the text, deciphering graphs).
And they stop listening to you… And you bother them by talking while they are
busy reading your slide.
Make sure you provide the info exactly when needed. Not before, not after.
• If you show bullet points (in case you don’t follow my advice and still show text),
make each bullet appear individually, as you introduce it
• Only introduce images as you talk about them
• Use “animations” (see Chap. 3)
2 Basics