Question

You have learned about and practiced with three kinds of visual aids: simple visual aids such as posters on easels, props, and slide presentations. Now you will write and think about which kind of aid would work best for your persuasive speech. It's up to you which you use, but you must choose and use a visual aid. Use these questions to guide your journaling:
• Which type of aid—simple visual aid, props, or slide presentation—did you most enjoy using? On the other hand, which gave you the most trouble and thus could use more practice?
• Does your persuasive speech have a strong informative slant that props would help you convey? Or does it have a strong emotional slant that evocative images on slides would reinforce? Which type of aid will help you get your ideas across?
• Do you need to present data—statistics, charts, graphics—to communicate your ideas? What is the clearest form to present these in?

Answer 1

Some people chose to dress up as part of their presentation, and this can help set the tone of the speech or reinforce a specific point. A speaker may choose to wear a handmade sweater in a talk about knitting in order to inspire others to begin the hobby. Another speaker may opt for a firefighter’s uniform in a speech about joining the local volunteer fire department in an effort to appeal to the respect most people have for people in uniform.

Firefighters

“Firefighters Onboard Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Edinburgh” by UK Ministry of Defence. CC-BY-NC.

If you aren’t dressing in relation to your topic, you should dress appropriately for your audience and venue. A presentation to a professional audience or at a professional conference would lend itself to appropriate business attire. If you are giving a presentation to your local Girl Scout troop, more casual clothing may be the best choice. Any time you are doing a demonstration, make sure you are dressed appropriately to give the demonstration. It is difficult for a speaker to show how to correctly put on a rock climbing harness if she is wearing a skirt the day of the presentation.

Beyond dressing appropriately for your audience and topic, the audience will make judgments about you even before your presentation begins. Your dress, mannerisms, the way you greet the audience when they are arriving, how you are introduced, and the first words out of your mouth all impact your credibility and ability to connect with your audience. Make sure you are calm and welcoming to your audience when they arrive and greet them in a professional manner. Your credibility and professionalism suffer when the audience arrives and you are busy scrambling around attempting to finish your preparations.[1]