QUESTION: What ideas would you have for making handouts more fun and interactive?

These are the guidelines we use with our clients in preparing presentation handouts:

• Use no more than two typefaces on a handout. More than this is distracting to the eye.
• Make your handouts interactive. Having participants add a caption or fill in a key word will increase their attention, retention, and participation.
• Use a border around each page. Just as an appropriate frame draws the eye to a painting, an appropriate border draws the participant into the handout.
• Whenever possible, keep the left-hand page blank (or with a border headed "Notes") so that all of a participant's ideas about the handout on the right-hand page can be captured where they can be seen with the related material.
• Number each page. It's easier to find a handout by page number than by title.
• Use appropriate icons and graphics to help people visualize your printed content. For example, I might use a light bulb icon (or lightning bolt) in the upper right-hand corner of the border if the topic on the page relates to brainstorming or ideas.
• Include your biographical sketch on the second or third page of the handout. Be sure that you include the things that tell your audience why you have the right to present on this subject. Always personalize your bio sketch to the audience. If I'm presenting to an audience of technical people, I include examples of technical projects I've worked on. If the audience is sales or customer relations oriented, I replace the technical information with sales or customer service information.
• Divide your handout into two or three sections. At the very least, "need to know" and "reference" (which can go in an appendix). At best, three sections: "need to know", "nice to know", and "reference". This allows you to be sure that you cover the "need to know" and partially cover the "nice to know" or "reference" material as time allows. If you use any fill-in-the blanks, make sure they occur only in the need to know section.
• Include one or two of your own evaluations forms in the back. This gives you the option of having the group evaluate your presentation, even if other forms are not provided.
• Introduce the evaluation form early. Within the first third of the program, I make sure people know about the evaluation form, where to find it, the fact that I would like it thoroughly completed by the end of the session. I usually offer a bonus handout that they receive when they turn it in.
• Use variety in your handout. There are at least ten types of handouts that can be used:

1. Partial transparency — a handout that is a reproduction of a visual, but with several key words missing — to be filled in by the participant.

2. Open-ended sentences that allow participants to express ideas or viewpoints by completing sentences that have been started. An example would be: People will work hard if ...

3. Projects — A series of questions that allow participants to explore thoughts, feelings and ideas about a topic that are done in a group of five to seven with a group leader leading the discussion.

4. Case studies — A situation (or situations) is described and then participants discuss a series of questions related to the situation. Sometimes a problem is described and participants come up with solutions.

5. Effectiveness Grids — A series of qualities or characteristics related to the topic are placed on a grid and participants rate themselves, usually in terms of their perceived level of expertise or effectiveness. This allows participants to select areas they need to develop and also allows potential mentors to emerge from the group.

6. Charts and graphs can allow participants to see relations much more clearly because they are visual in nature -- not just text only. Make sure in using them that you do not truncate the data in ways that distorts the data. By keeping all the data represented by the same proportions, you'll minimize the possibility of this happening.

7. Checklists (like this one) can also be valuable handouts.

8. Diagrams can help participants visualize the steps in a process or a sequence of events much more clearly than text only.

9. Bibliographies can be a useful resource for participants who would like more information.

10. Crossword puzzles, word-search puzzles, and other paper and pencil games can provide another way to engage participants through a handout.

More details on developing these types of handouts can be found in the Creative Training Techniques Handbook, Third Edition, available in our online catalog or by calling 1-800-383-9210.