In a past “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants” article, we talked about how you can say more by using up less time.
There, we mentioned that a talk doesn’t always have to last long to be effective in spurring others into action.
Now that you have an idea on how to make an impact with less time, the next thing we’re going to focus on is how you can deliver your talk clearly when you set out to inform your listeners.
Why does this matter, you ask?
It is because informative talks are a different beast compared to ones that are meant to motivate.
Of all the types of talks that a speaker can give, learning how to craft an informative presentation is important because the principles applied in this talk type is a necessary building block for other ones.
As Dale Carnegie, author of the book, “The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking” pointed out, the “ability to speak clearly precedes the ability to move others to action.”
That’s why for today, we’re going to talk about how you can deliver informative talks!
An informative presentation—a talk type speakers and almost all folks do in some form—serves as a foundational block for your skills as a speaker. It requires you to talk clearly and unequivocally to get your message across.
So, how exactly can you craft an informative talk?
The first step is to know your audience inside and out.
Knowing who you’re talking to is the cornerstone of effective communication because it allows you to know what kind of audience you’re working with.
By understanding your listeners at a fundamental level, you can tailor your manner of speaking into a language that’s easy for them to understand.
Next is to make sure that what you plan to discuss will fit based on the time you were given.
Carnegie argues that one of the things that prevent speakers from talking clearly is because the time they have to talk doesn’t mesh well with the topic they’ve chosen.
Imagine you only have five minutes to talk about everything a tourist needs to know about Paris.
Sure, this can be done, but the result won’t be pretty nor successful because you cannot talk about such a broad topic in a short amount of time.
Delivering your message clearly isn’t just about knowing the language your listeners understand but also understanding the type of topics you can talk about with the time at your disposal.
Now that you know about the most crucial steps, the next thing you need to do is to make sure the ideas you want to present are logically arranged.
Carnegie says any subject can be developed by leveraging a logical sequence based on categories like time, space, or special topics.
For time, your subject can be divided into the categories of past, present, and future, or begin at a certain date and move backwards or forwards from that date.
In presenting your talk logically based on space, you can organize your ideas based on a central point and go outward from there.
Lastly, for special topics, Carnegie argues that this type of subject matter usually has a built-in sequence.
For example, if your talk is about a government or government agency, you can base your discussion around the inherent organizational pattern of the topic you plan to talk about.
Aside from the principles we mentioned, there are other pointers you can follow when crafting informative talks:
- Use visual aids to help get your message across, especially if you’re talking about complex topics or difficult-to-grasp concepts.
- Keep your slides simple, easy to read, and free from huge chunks of text.
- Identify and avoid jargons that your listeners might have a hard time understanding.
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There you have it—the principles you need to keep in mind when making informative talks!
Knowing how to deliver informative presentations might seem like a daunting task, but taking the time to know how to is definitely worth it.
As we mentioned above, an informative presentation serves as a building block for your skills as a speaker since it requires you to talk clearly and unequivocally to get your message across.
If you can master this talk type, then you’ll be able to handle yourself well when you’re making presentations that are meant to convince others or get them to act on a particular course of action.
So, if you want to level up your skills as a speaker, make sure to keep the insights we shared with you in mind and use them to craft a killer informative talk!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”
In a meeting with one person…
… a boardroom with five people…
… or a huge venue with hundreds of people…
—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.
No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.
What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?
Every Thursday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.
The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.
(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)
Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to communicate and present well will definitely give you an edge.
Have that advantage.
Hope you find this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!”
Cheers,
Henry Desai
Managing Director
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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