Make them remember the key points, not the pizazz

You sit down in your seat, awaiting the presenter to start his magic. You’ve been in this position enough before to know that the ‘misses’ seriously outnumber the ‘makes’. Your expectations for a brilliant, memorable presentation are very rarely realized.

When you think of the ‘misses’, you start to shake. The presenter’s slides contain paragraphs of text; the interaction is limited; the presenter is dull and distant.

The ‘makes’ always stand out. You tell your colleagues about the presenter’s charisma. You take notes as if you are an eager college freshman prepping for that first final exam. The most important take away from a make: you remember something.

The ‘misses’ just cascade a tsunami of text and pictures at the audience. The audience spends more time counting down the minutes instead of thinking of ways to leverage some knowledge in their personal or professional lives.

When your next presentation knocks, will you be a ‘make’ or ‘miss’?

Until next time,

Dan Naden