Like any other tool, however, they take some practice. Don't begrudge yourself the time in testing new equipment before the presentation begins. Return to top of page Handouts PG software makes it very easy to construct handouts with the content of your slides. Such handouts are extremely useful for guiding audience note- taking. Rather than trying to get down every detail, members of the audience can focus on the larger concepts in the presentation.
Speakers differ on their preferences for distributing handouts before or after a presentation.
Prior distribution makes clear to the audience what they do and do not have to copy down during the talk. Post-speech distribution can focus greater attention on the speaker, as there is always a risk that audience members will simply stop listening in order to read ahead in the handout. Mid-speech distribution gives you the worst of both worlds. Passing around materials disrupts the flow of the presentation. Audience members, having already settled into a note taking routine, will have that routine interrupted, further distracting from the speech.