Effectiveness of Visual Presentations

While working in a local auditing firm some time ago, it was always a requirement to submit a work report after every two weeks to assess the performance of automotive companies in terms of number of units sold and the customer preferences. For instance, BMW was found to be selling the most number of vehicles in New York over its other German rivals like Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. Most BMW buyers were found to be between ages 29-35 meaning it was a hit with the young adults. Those aged 45-60 were found to like mostly American made vehicles like Chrysler, Lincoln and Chevrolet. Sedans were found to be the favored vehicle type across for the vehicle buyers in New York. Gasoline powered vehicles were more likely favored by the young buyers as compared to the older buyers who went for diesel powered vehicles.

This information would be best illustrated visually as it would tremendously help in ensuring the right data is represented in a clear, concise and precise manner (Chan & Chan, 2006). The visual aids I would employ would include photographs, graphs, pie charts and flow charts. The photographs would be used to show the vehicle types, for example, the sedan, so that the audience can understand clearly what I mean. The graphs and pie charts would be used to show the customer preferences over a period of time and they would be appropriate as they best illustrate any fall or rise in the number of units sold. This method would be effective as it employs the use of more than one sense at the same time and the listener is drawn in by the fact that the presenter is well prepared and has good grasp of the subject matter. The address: http://www.uab.edu/uasomume/fd2/visuals/page2.htm was helpful in helping knowing the importance of visual aids.

Reference

Chan, A. H., & Chan, K. W. (2006). Synchronous and asynchronous presentations of auditory and visual signals: Implications for control console design. Applied Ergonomics, 37(2), 131-140.