#2: The Big Picture

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR AUDIENCE TO REMEMBER YOUR PRESENTATION? With visions of possibilites or numbing details? If you want them seeing “possibilities”, you can’t approach things in the same old way.

So here’s exercise #2 in our series of 10 on how to be more compelling in your presentations. If you did the first exercise, your mind should be open to all kinds of ways in how to get your message across. Now, we’ll look at how to craft a story which will affect them on more than just an intellectual level.

[1] Their goal, in 3-7 words
This can be tough to do, but the payoff is tremendous. You’ll have distilled in one sentence (or less) why they should care about what you’re going to say. AND it will be easy for them to recall long after you’re gone. (Hint: start with an active verb)

[2] What will that do for them?
Now go beyond their goal and explore what achieving that goal will mean for them. You’ll reach a deeper understanding of their needs than just “faster”, “cheaper”, or “better”. And you may end up revising your initial 3-7 words to reflect this more refined view of their objectives. (You might even take this through a few iterations.)

[3] What one image expresses this?
Once you’ve drilled down to their root cause, issue, or desire, think about what kind of image could express this. There’s a visceral quality to pictures that tells your story more strongly than mere words can.

Consider the picture of the wave above. Did you analyze the varying colors of the water or the height of the wave or way the leading edge breaks in seemingly random fashion, or did you just absorb the power of the image? I’d bet money it was the latter, and your mind probably connected this image to all manner of other ideas, images, or experiences you’ve had — all without me saying (or, in this case, writing) a word.

So troll through iStockphoto or Getty Images or Corbis. See if you can find something that expresses, without words, what your audience cares about or can achieve. And even it you don’t use it, just having defined an image that speaks to your audience will give you a strong, memorable metaphor to express your case.

For related posts, check out The Cocktail Napkin Presentation, With all this poop... and Don’t Sell the Sizzle OR the Steak.

<note>
To see the other parts of this series, find the heading EXERCISES in right column of The YouBlog. It’s between “Recent Posts” and “Categories”. You can do them in any order you like.