How Not to Overwhelm (Or Bore) Your Audience During Presentations The goal of a presenter should, above all, not confuse or drown listeners in information. Best practices to ensure you get your message clearly and concisely.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
"I know your head's spinning."
Have you ever heard a presenter offer that assertion at the end of a whirlwind-of-content presentation? As an audience member, how did it make you feel? Was your reaction to dismiss it and go back to checking phone email, or was it frustration, because you attended with the hope of getting at least some information or clarification regarding the presentation topic. Regardless, there is one thing for certain: You did not attend with the hope of leaving with your head spinning.
Related: How to Polish Your Public Speaking
So, first, for you public speakers out there: Never say that to an audience. Second, show up with an actual plan so there's no chance of over-supplying or mis-supplying information.
Here's how:
1. Identify the takeaway(s) you want for an audience. For instance, do you want members to become better versed at strategies for using social media to promote their businesses? Perhaps you want to equip them with ideas on how to be more inclusive leaders, or to know the benefits of becoming published authors?
2. Identify three to five pieces of information that will help listeners reach that goal. Keep in mind that they need to be easy to understand, or at least delivered in an easy-to-understand fashion, and need to be concepts the audience can readily use. What are takeaways that will help them, say, improve their knowledge and understanding of strategies for using social media, or practice being more inclusive leaders, or boost their understanding of the benefits of becoming published authors?
3. Finally, it's important to punctuate those pieces of information with a call to action. Ask yourself, "What do I need them to do now to further their learning?" You could, for example, provide a complimentary analysis of one audience member's social media profile during the presentation, then make some recommendations on how it could be improved. You could, perhaps, direct members to a link to order a book or access a blog that contains implementable strategies for being a more inclusive leader, then invite them to your next inclusive leader bootcamp. You might provide a complimentary discovery call to explore their book ideas as well as a free download to help them get started with writing a manuscript.
Related: 3 Critical Principles of Effective Calls to Action
In short, make it easy for an audience. Show them that you can support them. Give them a good experience, and whatever you do, do not make their heads spin.
Read more communication strategies in the award-winning REAL TALK: What Other Experts Won't Tell You About How to Make Presentations That Sizzle.
