Every
presentation you give needs a point – the one core message that you want the
audience to remember. Yes, you will have a lot of supporting material and
secondary points, but there is really only one message.
Think of it as a billboard or newspaper headline. Fit it into one sentence and state it clearly
in your introduction. For example, “The purpose
of this presentation is to explain why this project is behind schedule and how
we are going to fix that.” Or, “The point of this presentation is to explain
the three steps you need to take in order to become a more effective presenter.”
Gilda Bonanno's blog www.gildabonanno.blogspot.com
Having
a single message makes it easier for the audience to understand your
presentation and remember it. Imagine
that we interview everyone in the audience after your presentation and ask them,
“What was the point of that presentation?” They should all give more or less
the same answer – your message, paraphrased in their own words.
As you
prepare your presentation, you need laser-like focus because everything you say
should be organized around that message.
And if the example or statistic doesn’t relate somehow to your message, don’t
include it. (Yes, this can be difficult if
you are a subject matter expert because the more you know about a subject, the
harder it is to present succinctly and with a limited focus).
You can
bring extra material with you in case of off-message questions or to be handed
out at the end. You can email an
appendix or addendum after your presentation.
But the words that come out of your mouth should be exclusively focused
on and organized around your message.
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