Why Simplicity Matters in Your Presentation

Being a presentation coach and educator, I view things differently than the general public because of my keen eye  for communication and knowing what audiences want.

We are getting some bad weather at the moment and the news crews are covering the severe weather as it rolls in. The meteorologist on the local news station decided that the residents watching the media coverage needed to know that difluence is when the winds split and fan out in two directions.

That’s fantastic to know that there are forces at work producing the severe weather and it’s not just bad luck or magic that we are getting severe weather. On the other hand, it doesn’t enrich my life at all to know what difluence means; I really only care that the winds are splitting and causing severe weather. (I am glad that he explained the term and not just using it like I went to meteorology school too.)

web_offer_banner_3_contentmarketingWhen I worked at the local zoo, I was primarily speaking to grade school students that needed to know certain vocabulary words. Therefore, it was up to me, as the zoo educator, to introduce the needed vocabulary words that would soon appear on the students’ tests. I not only had to introduce the vocabulary word but also relate the definition to the animals because that’s what the teachers were bringing me in to do.

Unfortunately, most business professionals are not dependent on learning additional vocabulary words and definitions unique to your profession. Introducing any such vocabulary words is not going to enrich the audience’s lives any more than knowing or not knowing that difluence is a splitting in the winds. In the end, the listeners want to know the end result and generally don’t care about high-level vocabulary and jargon.

This is why there are many resources pointing business professionals to simplicity. The trouble with these resources is the lack of how to achieve simplicity in their presentations.

Additional Resources

How Speak Simple Can Help You

Speak Simple helps teams too! Whether it is coaching a team of technicals to win the big bid presentation or training professionals to share their expertise in educational, thought leadership presentations. Learn more about how Speak Simple can help your firm win more work and increase your billing rate.

 

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