Pros and Cons of Visual Aid Options 1

Multimedia Slides
Pros:
• Create professional appearance with many colour, art and graphic
• Easy to use and transport via e-mail, removable storage media, Web download
• Inexpensive to update

Cons:
• Do not compatible with all types of software
• Require costly projection equipment
• Tempt user to add razzle – dazzle features that might not even help

Overhead Transparencies
Pros:
• Professional appearance
• Easy to prepare, maintain and update
• The locate reliable equipment
• Limit information shown at one time

Cons:
• Provide poor reproduction of photos and graphics
• Speaker cannot move from the overhead projector
• Appear to some as an old and outdated presentation method

Handouts
Pros: 
• Encourages audience participation
• Easy to maintain and update
• Audience able to use the handouts as reference material to enhance recall

Cons:
• Able to be difficult to transport
• Copied material may violate copyright law,
• Audience tends to lose focus on presentation due to reading at the handouts.

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References:

Guffey, M. E., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication. Toronto, ON: Nelson Education.

Skills You Need. (2015). Working with Visual Aids. Retrieved from

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/present/visual-aids.html