While mentoring some colleagues to help them overcome their fear of public speaking and to improve their presentation skills, I noticed a distinct “fear of the flip chart”. What is it and how does one overcome it?

It can be easy to spot someone with a fear of public speaking because they are glued to the spot where they began their speech and they refuse to move. The idea of using any kind of props (e.g. flip charts, handouts, etc) is terrifying because they would have to move and it might make the experience go on even longer.

However, an important public speaking tip is to use flip charts and other props to support your presentation. The way you use your flip chart is a critical part of public speaking. Here are some important public speaking tips and techniques for using a flip chart effectively:

1. Arrive early and be sure that the flip chart is positioned so that you can get to it easily when you need it.

2. Be sure that it is positioned so that you can stand next to it and write while still facing your audience (ie. Do Not Turn Your Back On Your Audience!)

3. Make sure you have several markers that work and immediately throw away the ones that don’t work. You don’t want to be scrambling to find a good marker during your presentation.

4. Only use blue or black markers please. It is too difficult for those at the back of the room to see other colors. Red is OK to accentuate things already written in blue or black.

5. When writing on the chart, make your letters at least 2-3 inches tall.

6. Draw lines in pencil pages beforehand to help you keep your writing legible.

7. Plan out your pages as you are writing the outline for your presentation. They will be the support for your public speaking presentation.

8. Write notes to yourself, in pencil on the flip chart to help remind yourself of all the important points to be included. I promise your audience won’t see the penciled notes.

9. If you have something that you want to present and then accentuate during the presentation or discussion, write out the flip chart page beforehand so that you can just flip the page to it.

10. If you need to refer to something that you wrote on a page at a later point in your presentation, rip off the page and ask someone to tape it up on the wall – don’t forget to bring big masking tape for this.

Flip charts are a great way to be interactive with your audience and get their inputs to your presentation. People feel important when you write their words and ideas on paper in front of the room.

I hope that this sparks some ideas on using flip charts to strengthen your public speaking and help to overcome any “fear of the flip chart”.

A4 folders are also known as presentation folders, which can also be found in different sizes, such as A5 and A6, but the A4 size is still the most common and popular. A4 folders are used in a number of situations, from board meetings where the folder is simply a convenient way to organise a series of A4 documents, to conferences and networking events where the folder can also serve to advertise and promote a company name or logo through custom printing on the folder cover.

Presentation folders are usually made from hard board covered in PVC or polypropylene. They can be created in practically any colour, or combination of colours, and they can also be produced in a variety of textures. For example, a black or dark brown A4 folder with a leather-look textured finish has always been very popular. Translucent and transparent coverings are also popular, and can be available with various textured finishes and in any colour as well

With an increased interest and focus on environmentally friendly products, more and more manufacturers of A4 folders are producing their ranges in recycled PVC or polypropylene. Plastics are not known to be particularly friendly to the environment, but recycling already produced plastics is one effective way of overcoming objections and lowering any negative effects there may be. It means that with all the millions of presentation folders constantly being produced, many of them, once they reach the end of their useful life, are being reused in ways that lessens the burden on the planet’s natural resources.

Most A4 folders are personalised through printing techniques. A number of printing methods can be used on folders, including full colour litho, foil blocking, silkscreen and digital. Each one has its strong points and may be better suited for a particular situation over the others. This is something that a company wishing to purchase personalised A4 folders should inquire about to be aware of the various options. Almost any kind of complicated artwork or specialised printing can be done on request, and in fact, the more unusual your A4 folder is, the more likely it will get noticed.

Conclusion

A4 folders are a common sight at annual conferences, trade fairs and all kinds of networking events. They are a convenient way to carry promotional materials, A4 printed documents and the like. The colour of the folder and logo or printed company name prominently displayed on the folder can serve as a visual signal to others who may be interested in what the folder contains, or at least, what the person holding the A4 folder has to say.

With Christmas quickly approaching, chances are that you’re trying to think of unique Christmas presents for friends and family. Finding the perfect gift can be a stressful and time – consuming task which can sometimes take the fun out of Christmas shopping.

If you find yourself in this position then one idea could be to buy your loved one a thermometer. Although it might sound a bit strange at first, a thermometer can have many different uses and is a handy tool to have around the home. Just like with anything these days, you now get a large variety of them all of which can do a range of different things.

A cheap and basic variety is a disposable thermometer. These are very handy to have around the house especially if you have young children. You can use them to take temperatures when people aren’t feeling very well which saves you going to the doctor to get it done. This is a great way of saving money in the long run because rather than making a trip to the doctor every time you think you or child might have a temperature, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

If you would like something that lasts longer then a glass thermometer could make a great Christmas present. They can be used for anything from taking temperatures to monitoring the temperature outside or in your home. The great thing about them is that the glass covering provides them with more protection so they are likely to last longer and there is less chance of them getting damaged.

If you are looking for Christmas presents that are a bit more special, then a digital thermometer could make a great gift. These have a variety of uses from measuring the temperature of your fridge and freezer to checking the temperature of your food to ensure that it is cooked properly. Therefore they make great Christmas presents for chefs or anybody who loves to cook.

If you know somebody who has a swimming pool then getting them a thermometer which tests the temperature of the water could be perfect. This means that they will be able to ensure the water is always at a comfortable level when it comes to swimming. Another reason why you might want to test the temperature of water is if you have a baby or young child and you are giving them a bath. What doesn’t feel too hot to you may be too hot for a baby so a thermometer is a much safer way of testing the water temperature than doing it yourself.  

You can even get a really clever thermometer that measures the humidity in a room. This is actually a really good reason to buy a thermometer because if the humidity levels in your house are too high or too low it can have damaging effects on your home and your health.

Regardless of who you are buying for, a thermometer can make a great Christmas present or stocking filler. As well as this, it is a very unique idea so you can be sure that nobody else would have bought the same present or that the person will already have it.