You have a colossal pile of content you believe you absolutely need to cover during a particular presentation. But you don’t want to sacrifice your deck’s potential for clean, crisp, and sophisticated design. This is a seemingly common conundrum among Ethos3’s clients. Don’t fret. We’ve got your back. Although you may need to address a ton of information, not only because your boss insists you tell all, but also because your audience wants to know, the saving grace here is that you don’t have to compromise on aesthetic. Why do we state this with so much confidence? Because we have a perfect option for you. And it’s called the presentation handout. While it is a beneficial method to house finer details of your content, its utility is as limitless as its impact. Here are 3 reasons you should consider offering a document at the conclusion of your presentation:
1. Handouts enhance engagement
The unique advantage of a presentation handout is that it is customizable to each audience. According to a recent article from the Nashville Business Journal, a United States Postal Service study found that nearly ¾ of direct mail recipients have bought a product or service after delivery of the physical handout. The presenter hoping to incite audience members to perform a specific action should provide a handout immediately following a presentation call to action; if crafted intentionally, the presenter would have outlined crucial content and ended the document with a link to their site or other desired outcome.
2. Handouts serve as reminders
Of the 100 billion neurons populating our brains, about one billion are involved in packing information into the suitcase that is our long-term memory. So, we don’t have a lot of neurons flexing their muscles for us in that memory department. If you dump a large amount of data, information, visualizations, and the like on your presentation audience, dissecting the most important content – the 3 main points, as well as vital supporting details. By sending participants away with a handout, you are increasing the likelihood that they will save the paper and refer to it frequently. The more people interact with your content, the more credible, authentic, and reliable you become.
3. Handouts reflect the brand
Your handout may not be the focal point of your presentation, but the quality of its design is just as much of a reflection of your brand as the design of the deck. Ensure the clarity and consistency of your presentation performance by creating a seamless transition through the color scheme of both the slides and the handout.
Are handouts always a necessary component of a presentation? The answer depends on 3 factors:
- The amount of information you would like for individuals to retain
- The method of content retrieval you believe your audience will respond best to
- The strength of your presentation delivery; utilize a handout if you lack experience or skill in managing your tone, using expressive body language, and more)
To learn more about designing the presentation of your life – and adding handouts to do so – review the links below:
