Do you say too much in your presentations? The more you say, the less your audience will get.
Here are the three ways that can help you keep your audience engaged:
1. Have one clear and simple Key Message
The key message is the one thing you want your audience to remember or do as a result of your presentation.
Your presentation will be more effective if it has one clear key message. That’s why it’s called a key message. “Key messages” is a contradiction in terms. If you have two messages that you give equal importance to, the impact of each message will be diluted. You can, of course, have other messages (assertions) in your presentation, but they should be subordinate to the key message.
2. Use your Key Message as a filter
Everything you say in your presentation has an important role to play. That role is to serve and support your key message. If a piece of information serves and supports your key message it can stay in your presentation. If a piece of information doesn’t serve or support the key message is should stay out. Your key message acts as a filter for what stays in your presentation and what stays out.
3. Plan your assertions
An assertion is a complete sentence which expresses the point you want to make. Too often presenters write themselves a list of points to make during their presentation, without thinking too hard how exactly they will express those points when they’re speaking. Then they stand up to speak. And they find themselves taking a long time to make the point and saying it in a myriad of different ways. The presenter lacks clarity and conciseness and as a result the audience finds it hard to grasp the point.
Do your thinking before you get up to speak. Plan your points as assertions. That way you’ll be crisp and clear when you’re on your feet.
