Eight Keys to Mastering Visual Aids

'When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.' ' Ralph Waldo EmersonA powerful visual aid will set images floating in the minds of your listeners and leave a lasting impression far more effectively than words alone. Nonetheless, lawyers often fail to capitalize on the power of visual aids for a variety of reasons: they often design complex, intricate visual aids that clarify very little and often merely confound the audience; they fumble around during the presentation and create awkward pauses because they failed to practice their presentations using the visual aids; they do not position themselves and the visual aid for maximum impact because they are unfamiliar with the layout of the room; and they fail to carefully plan when and how they will use the visual aid to accentuate the message.

10 minute read October 06, 2003 at 03:23 PM

By

David J. Dempsey