As we move further away from bullets on slides (which is a good thing), presenters become increasingly more panicked to try to remember what they want to communicate.
For some presenters, working with a simple, word-based outline is sufficient to help them hit all their key points and remain conversational. However, this does not work for everyone and necessity is the mother of invention.
A while back, I worked with a project manager who really struggled to communicate what he wanted to using the traditional outline. Our visual support for the team presentation was truly support and each background image represented several concepts for discussion.
In talking with him, I discovered he was a very visual guy. To enable him to master the 4 unique segments in the presentation he would be delivering, we created 4 storyboards. Each storyboard had the image that would be projected on the screen then 3 supporting images of his choosing to trigger his talking points. I then tested him on what the images were in each of the segments, one by one. As he mastered the image association, he was able to articulate his message and easily knew what came next.
Creating a visual outline for presenters opens up a whole new world of possibilities for more visually based support in presentations. It eliminates the need for the traditional crutches of bullets or switching images so frequently the selection panel gets dizzy.
Plus, it is an excellent strategy to help your visual presenters remember what they want to say so they can present more confidently and effectively.