InVisibleLight

Think in Messages, not Topics

18th November, 2009 - Posted by jeffdavis - No Comments

When people know they have to give a presentation, it’s pretty common for them to generate a list of topics they want to cover. If this blog post were a speech, I’d generate a list of topics to cover that looks like this:

-       Topics versus content

-       Why it’s appealing

-       Why it’s not enough

-       What to do instead

No one looking at my topics learns a thing about what I want them to know. And I’m no closer to being able to speak my messages.

If I take the next step, I can convert those topics messages, pretty easily:

-       A list of topics doesn’t equate to usable messages for an audience. That makes it only the first baby step in preparing your presentation.

-       Knowing the scope of what you are talking about makes you feel more prepared. But, like the outline you prepared for your term paper in 8^th grade, it’s just the preliminary step to delivering something much richer and more complex.

-       When you think in message content – that is, the words you actually intend to say about each of these topic areas – you start to bridge the gap between thought and performance.  You are moving from the space of ideas into the space of delivery of ideas.

-       Recognize your topic list for what it is: the scaffolding on which to build your presentation. Convert the topic idea into brief sentences that convey the Big Idea messages you will speak to your audience. You can add all sorts of blah-blah-blah to fill it out afterwards. But you’ll have the shape of your presentation right in front of you in a way that moves you closer to performance.

The same thing goes for slides. When you make the first pass at the deck, it’s fine to have a topic-focused headline: “Our Sales in FY09.” In the next pass, you need to convert that topic to a message-laden headline: “Sales On Track To Goals in FY09.”

Take the next step, and you will take your audience on a better, more focused journey in your presentation.