Why many presentations are “broken” and THIS is what you can do about it!
“Do you know that no one can ever recall anything from our “keynotes”.
The CEO, that I was coaching, trusted me with this shocking but honest confession.
What a shame. So much money and time is spent on it. A keynote the most important presentation of a conference.
It’s the chance to inspire employees, get them into action or gather them around a new idea.
Instead of this opportunity, employees are apparently “listening” obediently. But not much is happening in their brain. Otherwise, they would be able to remember something, right?
What is the reason for this?
But, even more important, what can be done about it?
It isn’t about the lack of effort. All the stops are being pulled out. Often multiple people and departments are involved. In other words; people didn’t just make these keynotes happen overnight.
When I asked this CEO, why he thought that despite all this effort, nothing was being remembered. He responded:
“There is too much information and there is no story in it.”
He understood it very well.
An example of a keynote with too much information and no story:
The keynote starts about individual excellence, but then the audience is also told that at the same time, it’s also very important to have good teams. Then, it’s about how important the “mindset” is, and that you are able to change it. Thereafter, it’s about new chances. Then, the speaker also brings up that the values of the company still stands, but that they need a new approach at the same time.
By now, my head is spinning. And all of this loosely scattered across the presentation. In between, the numbers of 2018 are presented and the plans for 2019 unfolded.
The problem: a choice wasn’t made. No clear core message was chosen, no emphasis had been placed where everything could be organized around.
And without a message, choice, or emphasis, there is no story and the presentation becomes a long list of seemingly loose pieces of information. Which………. will not be remembered….
“There was too much information and no story in it.”
How to solve this?
It’s important to think of a general core message, before you start making a presentation! This will keep everything together!
What is the most important thing that you want your audience to remember, after you have finished your presentation?
The core message is like the tip of an umbrella. Everything leads to the core message and is connected to it.
How does this work?
Instead of not making a choice and scattering everything loosely across the presentation, it’s important to choose a core message and then, almost magically, it becomes a story that can be easily unfolded.
Let’s say that the most important message is: “we need to change our approach”. Then, your presentation could start as follows.
“Currently, we are in a unique situation. Our company is independent again. Just as if we can start with a clean slate. That is unbelievably exciting, and it gives us many possibilities.” (Begin with where you are)
“We are still the same company, with the same people and the same values. It is important that you realize that.”
“However, 1 big change is coming!” (positioning the attention and core message).
“In the future, we have to change our approach!” (the core message)
“ And in this keynote I’m going to tell you why we have to change our approach, what the new approach contains and the tools we have ready to get there.”
Now, the rest of the sub messages can easily be suspended in this structure.
For example: what we will need for this new approach are 3 things:
- Individual excellence.
- teamwork and
- the right mindset.
Also, now a story is included in the presentation. We start from where we are now (situation), then there is a big challenge (new approach), and how we are going to tackle it (tools).
Besides, the audience is now also a part of the story and gets involved more. They are the heroes who are going to go on a search and adventure, after the keynote. This is where we are, that is where we’re going, with 1 big challenge. And we have the following tools to do it.
In short: do you want your keynote to be remembered:
Dare to choose and place your core message central! Your story will be remembered much better and will have more impact!
Good luck!
Do you want to learn?
- How to make a presentation with impact?
- How to make a convincing presentation, which follows the 3 psychological phases of convincing?
- How to build your presentation and be able to tell is more easily?
Then sign up for the training “story design”, where you will lay a solid foundation for a convincing presentation.
After this 1 day training:
- You know the 8 steps of the designing process.
- You have a convincing foundation for your presentation!
- You know much more about how convincing works and how to apply it.
- You will increasingly get better at this, because you know the principles that work behind it and the more often you use it, the easier it becomes.
For more information, send an e-mail to: info@presentingwithimpact.nl .
Translated by Wies Linssen