Whiteboard Presentations – Win the Easy Way

While working at the whiteboard might seem a bit uncomfortable at first, there are several secrets that you already know.

Think of these as visual conventions, shared by your audience. The good news: you already know and use these norms. But you might not have realized it.

Begin at the Left
If you're writing in English, sentences begin at the upper left-hand corner. This is a basic and accepted convention for writing. Use it to write ideas, show time and convey that things are starting.

Start At The Top
People are used to having high level ideas at the top of the page. The accepted norm is to move down for greater detail. Use this in your whiteboard charts. Big picture at the top. More detail towards the bottom.

Orient with a Headline
As in newspapers, reports and books, a title orients the viewer. Similarly, a headline or title orients your audience looking at the whiteboard.

For maximum impact, write the title bigger than anything else on the chart. Add a frame around it. This helps your audience orient to your topic. It also alerts new or late attendees to the focus of your message.

What other conventions can you think of? The more you use accepted and shared agreements about information, the easier it is for your audience to buy-in to your ideas.

Who knew winning with whiteboard presenting could be so easy?