m62 visualcommunications, the global leader in presentation effectiveness, is today urging presenters to use psychological research to improve their presentation skills and use of visual aids.

With thirty million PowerPoint presentations given every day, audiences can often become bored with the repetitiveness of slide after slide of bullet points. In fact, bullet points are not just boring – research has shown that they are ineffective. The brain cannot read and listen at the same time, so an audience who are confronted with text will read the slides rather than listen to the presenter.

Instead, according to psychological studies, presenters should use PowerPoint slides containing diagrams and graphs to explain their points. Incorporating effective visual aids into PowerPoint design can more than double audience recall rates.

There are also certain mnemonic processes that can be used to aid audience engagement and recall. Techniques such as repetition and strategic positioning can have a big impact on working memory.

Nicholas Oulton, Founder of m62, commented: “The importance of ensuring that an audience remembers a presentation is often underappreciated. Presenters pitching to a prospect may be in the middle of a long list of salesmen the audience is seeing that day, or those at a conference may be one of many esteemed speakers. If a presentation is not memorable, it could be lost in the crowd.

“Too many presenters fail to realise the significance of psychological research on the way a presentation is delivered. Conveying information is a scientific process and the effects of this can be maximised to ensure that your audience appreciate, engage with and remember a message.”

m62 operates from offices in the UK, US and Singapore, and has produced presentations for clients in a wide variety of sectors, ranging from IT to medical.

For more information about m62 visualcommunications, visit m62.net or call +44 (0)151 259 6262.