If you’re stumped about how to structure a presentation – and do it well – we’ve all been there.
So many people make the mistake of seeing public speaking as an art form.
Something people are naturally good at. A skill you’re born with.
I’d disagree. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s a science.
There are rules and formulas you can follow to present well – even if you hate it.
To explain how to get that all-important structure right, let’s take a trip to the beach.
The paddlers
Imagine when you arrive at the beach, you spot people paddling in the ocean.
They’re dipping their toes in but staying close to the shoreline.
They’re hear for a quick dip and that’ll be all.
The paddlers represent the members of your audience who are skimming for information.
They want the headlines, without the detail.
They need you to get to the point.
The problem is that so many presenters start with the background before eventually working their way round to important information.
By this point, the paddlers are out of the water, and they’ve moved on to building sandcastles.
You’ve missed them.
The key to any presentation structure is to start with the most important piece of information first.
Get to the point straight away, and you’ll keep the attention of the paddlers.
The swimmers
Glance beyond the paddlers and you’ll see more people further into the ocean.
The swimmers are comfortable in the water and happy to be there.
They enjoy the odd dip but are keen to avoid venturing out too far.
This group represents those looking for the key points.
They’ll go beyond the headline of a news article, but will finish reading before the halfway point.
To ensure you meet the needs of this group, your presentation needs to move in order of most important to least important.
Once you’ve made your main point – grabbing the paddlers’ attention in the process – you now need to make your second most important point, then your third and so on.
This order ensures the swimmers find the depth of information they require before moving on.
The divers
We all know the type.
The detail-oriented. need to know everything about everything before they can make a judgment person
Maybe it’s your boss, your friend, or maybe it’s you.
There’s one in every team and every audience.
You’ll struggle to see them from the shoreline because they’re too busy scouring the ocean bed for more information.
They’ll happily wade through the paddlers and the swimmers, taking the information in as they go, but then they want more.
Studies show the average attention span is around three seconds. This group is far from average.
As you reach the end of your presentation, this is where to include the most detail.
This group will be listening to the very end.
Call to action
If you follow this structure, you can safely say you’ve tailored your message to your audience.
You’ve done all you can to grab and keep the attention of the paddlers, the swimmers and the divers.
Now, it’s time to think about you.
Few of us stand up in front of a crowd for fun. It’s usually for a reason.
The problem is we panic, get nervous and wish the whole thing would just end, so we run off stage as soon as possible.
This is how we miss the opportunity for a call to action.
To finish the speech strongly, the key is to include one thing you’d like the audience to do.
It could be returning a document, visiting a website, or even just opening the floor to questions.
Decide ahead of time what you want them to do and give them that one final instruction at the end.
This ensures the last thing they hear – thus the last thing they’re likely to remember – is what you want them to do.
How to structure a presentation
If you’d like more help to put your presentation together or further tips on public speaking, get in touch with us today.
We’d be delighted to help you improve your communication skills.
Photos in How to structure a presentation by Pink Elephant Communications.
How to structure a presentation was written by Maxine Montgomery and edited by Andrew McFarlan.
