"As soon as you move one step up from the bottom, your effectiveness depends on your ability to reach others through the spoken and written word." Peter F. Drucker

What is the one big idea you want to leave with your audience? It should be short, memorable, and in subject-verb-object sequence.

Communication Channels

• Factual

• Emotional

• Symbolic

Factual Channel Tips

• Facts alone, especially just numbers, seldom persuade and rarely inspire.

• Statistics alone do not establish a logical course of action.

• People want interpretation not recitation.

• Use amazing facts well.

• Organize your facts and other information like a story.

Emotional Channel Tips

• People want to know that you understand their feelings.

• People want to know how the organization truly feels.

• Emotions give power to communication.

Symbolic Channel Tips

“What we sell is the opportunity for a 43 year-old accountant to dress up in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him.” Harley executive, quoted in Results-based Leadership.

• Choose symbols well.

• Never underestimate the power of a story.

• Use details, dialogue, and drama.

• All metaphors, analogies, and other comparisons break down at some point.

• Symbols are powerful ways to communicate your ideas about the future.

PRESENTATION AIDS

Use of Color

Use of color in presentations is important whether it be PowerPoint, marker pens used on white boards or color handouts to supplement instruction. Use of color can be used to stimulate the interest of the audience. As with all presentation aids the use of colors must be thought about, some colors do not react well together and may be difficult to see from certain areas in a room. The colors that are seen on a computer are very rarely the same that are seen when the

presentation is displayed through a projector. Color can be associated with specific emotions and can be used for specific reasons. Listed below are some guidelines for the uses of color:

• Red. Red evokes a sense of power, intensity and excitement.

• Blue. Blue creates a feeling of reliability, trust and authority. It can be used to establish trust.

• Green. Green indicates growth, health and instils a positive image of forward motion. Is can be used when reaching a consensus or finding compromises.

• Black. Black creates a feeling of independence and solidarity. It can also be used to represent somberness or reflect the gravity of a situation. It can be used positively when high-lighted with another color.

• Purple. Purple projects the feeling of assertiveness and boldness. It can be used to display royalty and richness.

• Brown. Brown indicates strength, support and a lack of superiority. It is an easy to read color but may be depressing on its own.

Design Considerations

When planning the use of Flipcharts or White boards, or preparing text for magnetic aids, there are a number of other factors to be considered.

• Lettering of approximately 5 centimeters can be viewed easily from 15-20 meters.

• Use BLOCK or larger lettering for titles and Combined Upper and Lower Case for the main body of the text.

• Limit the number of words to 6-8 per line and limit the number of lines to 6-8.

• Use numbers, symbols and abbreviations. Avoid unnecessary words.

• Underline TITLES and KEY words in bright colors to draw attention to them.

Answer the "Why should I care?" question that is in the audience's mind. Have a passion for creating a better product, service, or result. Practice, practice, practice - and ask for feedback.