Nothing is better than using exactly what you are talking about. However, objects that are extremely large, very small, or quite valuable may not lend themselves to use as presentation aids. In such cases, models may be a better option.
Objects. If you are speaking about something that can be carried easily and that listeners anywhere in the room can see without straining, you may use the object itself as a presentation aid. The object should also be small enough to be kept out of sight until it is time to use it. If you display the object throughout your speech, your listeners may focus on it rather than on your message. We once had a student bring six objects to illustrate a speech on Montessori preschool education. Before she spoke, she lined these objects up in front of the lectern. They were so distracting that a student in the front row actually picked up one of the objects to examine it. Her presentation would have been more effective had she brought the objects out one at a time.
Inanimate objects make better presentation aids than living things. One of our students brought a very young puppy for a speech on caring for animals. As she began, she spread some newspapers on the speaker’s table, and placed the puppy on them. You have probably already guessed what happened. The first thing the puppy did was wet the papers (including her note cards). The first thing the audience did was giggle. From there it was all downhill. The puppy squirmed and tried to jump on the speaker while yipping and barking throughout the speech. The speaker was totally upstaged by her presentation aid.
Another problem arises when presentation aids are used to shock the audience into attention. This is especially true if the objects are dangerous, illegal, or possibly offensive, such as guns, drugs, or pornography. One of our students once brandished a realistic “toy” weapon during a speech on gun control. The effect was both dramatic and frightening. Several audience members became too upset to listen effectively to his message. Another student was more successful at shocking the audience into attention with a presentation aid. At the beginning of a speech on regulating the sale of tobacco products to minors, Allison McIntyre held up a gallon jar of cigarette butts that she
had collected on the Vanderbilt campus. A Weight Watchers lecturer once
shocked the audience by displaying fat cuttings she had gotten from a butcher. She told members who were disappointed with a five-pound weight loss that “This is what that five pounds of fat you lost looks like!” Be careful when using dramatic presentation aids. If you have questions about the appropriateness of an object, check with your instructor.
Objects are frequently used in speeches of demonstration. Just before Halloween, a student gave a speech on jack-o’-lanterns. He demonstrated how to outline the face on a pumpkin and how to make a beveled cut around the stem so that the top wouldn’t fall in. As he was showing listeners how to do these things, he also told the story of the origins of jack-o’-lanterns. His presentation aid and his words worked together. The demonstration enlivened his speech, and the stories gave the demonstration depth and meaning. As he came to his conclusion, he reached under the lectern and produced a lighted jack-o’-lantern. The effect was memorable.
Model, When an object is too large to carry; too small to be easily seen; very rare, expensive, or fragile; or simply unavailable, a scale-sized replica of the object can serve as a presentation aid. One advantage of a model is that you can provide a cross section or cutaway of the object to show its interior.
When using a model as a presentation aid, be sure that it is constructed to scale and maintains the proper proportions between parts. The model should also be large enough for all listeners to see from their seats. Any presentation aid that the audience must strain to see will be more of a distraction than a help.