Have you ever heard that the way you present your ideas is as important as the idea itself?
The most often misquoted piece of information is that the content of a presentation accounts for only seven percent of the impact. Deep down we know that this can't be right. We can't be misled so easily.
What you say is much more important than how you say it. Substance will win out over form and fashion in the long term. We may listen to a speaker and be impressed with the show but not remember anything a week later. If the speaker's aim was to make a difference to our lives, the aim was not achieved.
So let's look at substance. Let's look at the body of a presentation. In my article 'Book-ending your presentations' I spoke about the start and finish of a presentation. Now let's look at the middle. The purpose of a presentation is to make a difference to the audience. We want to change their way of thinking and acting. We give them information with a purpose. It is for their benefit, not ours. One way of ensuring that we focus on them is to begin your presentation with .... ‘By the end of my presentation you will be able to...' This will force you to focus on them and their needs.
So let's look at designing a body.
Let's say you have twenty minutes for your presentation and you are clear about the purpose of the presentation. Now you need to add a body of information or evidence that will achieve your purpose. In a twenty minute presentation, this body needs to be chunked into three smaller pieces to assist the audience's retention.
‘This afternoon, I am going to show you three ways of improving the morale of your team'. Within each chunk you need to explain your point, reinforce this with an example and finish with a call to action.
It might sound like this....
- The first way of improving the morale of your team is to make sure they are very clear about their purpose.
- I remember working with a team and asking them their purpose. The reply I got was ‘Make money'. We spoke at length whether this was their purpose or a necessary outcome while pursuing the purpose.
- So...be very clear about your team's purpose and take as much time as necessary to get agreement on a common purpose.
So you see the three chunks. Of course, you would fill them out more with information or examples. The final call to action is vital as it tells the audience what they need to do when they have finished listening to you.
The best way I know of designing the body is to write down everything that comes to mind on the topic in random fashion. Write quickly without correction. Brainstorm. When finished, step back and chunk the information into three parts. There may be a logical flow. The way we were last year. How we are at the moment. How I would like to see us working next year. Or ...three ways of improving our efficiency, or reducing waste, or reducing emails, or staff turnover, or increasing profitability.
A more complex body might mention three problems we have and offer three solutions that all lead to overall improvement. If you want people to remember the three solutions in three months, try an anagram like...Purpose - People - Process. We need to define our purpose, make sure we have the right people and define a clear way of providing first class service.
So next time you are designing a presentation, work hard on the body and make sure that you provide information that leads the audience to the irrefutable conclusion that is in your mind.
In summary...
Decide on the purpose of your presentation and the main point that you want to convey to your audience. Brainstorm all the information that comes to mind that will help move the audience to your irrefutable conclusion. Chunk this into pieces - three or five depending on how much time you have. Break these chunks into - explain, reinforce and a call to action. Do a final summary that links with your purpose.
Speaking is not about you. It is about helping the audience make a difference to their lives. It is a privilege to speak to an audience. Use the privilege wisely.
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The Art Of Influence