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If you go
to Google and search “Bridges with Weight Limits” you’ll
find that dozens of bridges collapse every year when
truckers ignore those signs that say “Weight Limit 10
Tons.” The simple fact is that you just can’t drive a 20
ton rig over a 10 ton bridge and expect good things to
happen.
What does
this have to do with presenting?
The medium
of spoken communication is like a bridge with a weight
limit: presentations can only handle a limited amount of
“weight” without collapsing. The best presenters work
within the limits of the medium, rather than trying to fight
it by overloading it with too much “weight.”
So what
does the medium do well? And what does it do poorly?
Simple
Ideas Beat Complex Explanations:
Listeners just don’t remember much of what presenters say. Any
more than three points is more than the audience will
remember. Put another way, more than three simple points
will make the bridge collapse. You can try to give a
complex explanation in a 20-minute presentation, but you
won’t have much more luck than those overambitious truckers.
Stories
Beat Data:
Listeners just don’t remember much data when delivered in a
presentation format. But they do remember stories. The
best presenters find ways to bring their presentations to
life with stories.
Passion
Matters A Lot:
Spoken communication is a medium of persuasion. Listeners
can be swayed by the speaker’s personal excitement. So
great presenters know that how they sound matters a lot.
They focus on sounding intense and passionate about their
ideas.
There are
millions of tips on speaking. And entire libraries are
filled with books telling you how to give a great
presentation. But all the tips in the world mean nothing
unless you first think about the nature of the medium.
At
Speechworks we help our clients learn how to give
communicate in a way that connects and persuades. If you’re
interested in becoming a great communicator give us a call
at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
