by Dale Ludwig, June 2008
In the last issue of this newsletter, I wrote about the three parts of a presentation: introduction, body and conclusion. I explained that an effective introduction is important because it gives your listeners a sense of purpose and direction and a reason to listen. A good way to achieve those goals is to get clear on your audience’s needs and wants, and then prepare four introductory slides: title, current situation, statement of purpose & agenda, and benefits to audience. Once these four are created, you can adjust them to meet your particular needs, keeping in mind that no matter how many slides you use, the goals of every introduction are the same.
In this issue, I’ll focus on how to shape the body of the presentation to fulfill the promise of the introduction.
If you’ve participated in one of our workshops, you know we devoted much more class time to the introduction of your presentation than we did to the body. The reason for this is pretty simple: we assume that the easy part of the process for you, especially when it comes to preparation, is the body. Your expertise lies there—in the data, in the features and benefits of what you might be selling, or in the information you’re delivering to your team. I’ve never met a workshop participant who needed help figuring out what information belongs in the body of his or her presentation. That’s not the problem. The problem is how that information is organized, focused and delivered.
The solution lies in your presentation’s introduction. Think of it this way. When you deliver your presentation’s introduction—which should take about a minute—you make a promise to your audience. You promise them that the information you deliver in the body will be clear, relevant and beneficial to them. Here are a few ways to make that happen:
1. Use the first slide in the body to expand on the current situation. As you know, your assessment of the audience’s current situation is a crucial part of the introduction. Because the introduction is so brief, though, all you can really do there is name the current situation. If it needs to be explained in more detail, do it right off the bat in the body. Doing this will create context and get listeners aligned.
2. Follow your agenda and make it obvious. Like any good roadmap, your agenda needs to be crystal clear every step of the way:
» Title your slides with the agenda point they cover. The space at the top of your slide is valuable real estate. You’re wasting it if each slide’s title is the same. Good titles will help keep you and your listeners on track.
» During delivery, use signposts like “Let’s move on to the second point in our agenda.” Remember, listeners are an easily distracted bunch. Keep them on track every chance you get.
3. Tie ideas back to the benefits. In the introduction you told your listeners how they would benefit from (a) doing what you’re asking them to do (in persuasive situations) or (b) understanding what you’re presenting (in informative presentations). Emphasize this in the body through tiebacks. Tiebacks connect the dots for listeners. They remind listeners why a particular piece of data is relevant to them. Or what they will gain when they do what you’re asking them to do. Don’t assume that the connections are obvious. Or, even if they are obvious, that your listeners will automatically make them.
Remember that even though the body of your presentation contains information that you’re very familiar with, you still need to place that information within a context and structure your listeners will understand. When your presentation is structured well, your listeners are more likely to understand – and take action on – your key message.
In the next issue, I’ll focus on the ways to build and deliver a strong conclusion. As always, I’d appreciate receiving any feedback you have, including ideas for future issues. Have a great summer.
Sincerely,
Dale Ludwig, President
Turpin Communication
dale@turpincommunication.com
773-445-8855
