The effect of visualization on the audience

Visualization, as a technique in which we include graphic elements to support the speech, is very useful when it comes to increasing the retention of our message in the audience. The use of images or videos is a very powerful resource for communication, as it allows us to connect the audience more effectively with the ideas we seek to convey.

The use of this method must be done properly to avoid generating results contrary to the desired ones. Using inappropriate audiovisual content will disassociate the audience from the central ideas of the speech, making the message they receive not the right one.

During the development of this session, we will be addressing some of the most important elements that revolve around this topic. This will be useful if you wish to incorporate audiovisual resources into your presentations in an appropriate manner.

Choosing the audiovisual elements: When using the visualization technique, it is very important to choose carefully the audiovisual elements to be used during the speech.

They must be closely related to the message we are trying to communicate, thus avoiding dissociating the audience's attention from secondary aspects. Each image or video included in your presentation must be coherent with what you are expressing. They should serve as a support so that your speech is easier to understand and the main ideas can be retained more easily.

Another aspect to take into account when choosing the audiovisual elements is the stage where your speech will be presented. If, for example, you do not have quality audio for the videos, it is better to avoid including them, since this will affect the quality of the speech. The same can happen the other way around, where the screens for displaying images are not adequate. In these cases it is better to avoid the use of this resource and adapt to the medium where we are.

How many audiovisual elements can I include?

The amount of audiovisual elements you can include in your presentation will depend significantly on the type of speech you are preparing, its duration and the format of the event where it will be presented.

Do not overflow your presentation with long videos: try to make sure that all these elements always play a secondary and supporting role. Keep in mind that if you speak at the same time as you present images, the audience will probably focus more on the images than on your voice.

Adapt the amount of audiovisual elements so that your presentation is enjoyable and can illustrate your message without disassociating the audience's attention.

Why can visualization be effective?

Visualization, when used well, can be effective because it allows you to convey a message to the audience, stimulating other senses.

When we present our speech, the audience receives most of the information through hearing and vision. Hearing is the most stimulated, since our voice contains the most content of the message. Vision receives elements such as body language, but the addition of images or videos increases its field of action to facilitate understanding and improve the reception of the message.

Another factor that makes visualization a very effective technique is the undeniable superior attractiveness of visual materials. In fact, it is likely that you have consumed informative videos where you forget most of the words, but remember the images that were shown. Remembering these images helps us to associate the content and retain its essence.