Contrasts show striking differences between two things. An innovative presentation presenter at a software design conference speaks about advances in 3-D gaming animation where the facial hair, skin, and other physical features of animated characters are almost indistinguishable from photographs of actual people.
To illustrate the advances made in this software, he shows a game created 15 years ago compared to today’s latest being played on Microsoft Xbox and Sony’s PS4 PlayStation. The difference is shocking in terms of the past technology’s lower resolution, lack of realism, lighting, and shading aspects, among other characteristics, capabilities, and performance.
This comparison visually communicates the stark differences between old and new. An author and keynote speaker uses contrast to discuss and describe the vast differences between how an open-minded company with an innovative culture operates, grows, and prospers versus a closed company that shuns creativity and innovation and instead embraces the status quo that leads to mediocre operational and financial results.
A comparison, on the other hand, evaluates the qualities of being similar, yet different. For example, presenters use comparison when discussing options available to their audiences. Say, for example, a presenter wants to show her internal group of executives that she came up with three program designs to help her organization go through a major change process.
She discusses how each program, although having the same goals and objectives, has different strategies, resources, and activities with their own mix of pros and cons. She compares the three by describing their attributes and then recommends program number two and explains why she believes this is the optimum one based upon the stated needs and criteria from the executive board. The comparison aides the audience in their decision making.
Find circumstances in your presentation where stark, eye-opening contrasts and detailed comparisons help to describe, explain, and emphasize your points.