Some speakers feel safer and reassured when they use notes and they can give out handouts of their talk to their audience. In every audience there is also a group of people who like to have a copy of the whole presentation, slide by slide, because that allows them to take notes as the presentation progresses.
Especially during a training it is definitely a go. You should provide your students with materials containing course notes, exercises to complete and also some free space to write down some notes and facts the students want to remember. However, be very careful not to do this in other situations, advises the presentationmagazine.com website.
Always think of these risks
When you distribute handouts, you risk losing control over the attention of the people listening to you. By giving them written materials, you are giving them something that now competes with you for their attention. You must be an very engaging speaker for them to resist the temptation to read instead of listening to you. Also if you ask them a question, they will not think for themselves but rather try to find the answer in the handouts.
Be cautious with materials during your presentation
When it is not a training session, think twice before giving them any written materials. Tell them that you will give them handouts after the presentation. Another decision to make is whether to just print your slides, or create different materials to distribute as handouts.
In any case, avoid text-dense slides. People will read them and pay less attention to you. Furthermore our brains process text differently than images and wordy slides reduce the ability to recall information by almost 30 %. Slides are also usually too small to be clear when printed. Create a separate document which summarizes key points and add references. Your contact details should be included.
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