Recently, I was inspired by a Transom article and audio piece describing lackluster radio writing strategies and characteristics. As I listened to Rob Rosenthal tear apart one of the first radio stories he created, I reflected on my own experiences in the presentation space. Is there a kind of language or word usage that does more harm than good to a presentation narrative? Has structure really been an important quality of presentation content? Are there certain aspects of decks and speaker’s notes I’ve evaluated that just didn’t seem quite right? To all of these questions – and many more – I answered with a resounding yes. While it is true that most writing requires a certain skill set, the medium you are crafting content for alters your creative approach.
Do you need to send out an SOS for your presentation writing? Don’t leave your deck stranded on an island with these in tow:
Vague topic
A presenter without a focus during presentations is like Christopher Columbus without a compass during expeditions. Many presenters believe they need to demonstrate their expertise through content overkill. The symptoms of content overkill include a lack of direction, confusion, and overlapping of points. When you include too much information in your presentations, you risk producing a talk that misses the point you hoped to deliver.
Presentation Tips:
To avoid perplexing your audience members, assess your mountain of materials and pull out the 3 points that you absolutely need to get across. Analyze those 3 points and bring them together with an inclusive presentation title. By honing in on the presentation take-aways, you immediately cause a mindset shift towards specificity.
Random organization
But, random organization? Isn’t that an oxymoron? No, it’s not. The specific components of your narrative can be organized, while the presentation as a whole is unstructured. Creating a presentation outline will help you organize your thoughts and devise a comprehensible conversation around your topic. Building an effective outline begins with constructing an appropriate theme as the foundation. The theme should reflect the purpose of the presentation. Let’s say that your purpose is to inform audiences about the job market for marine biologists. First, decide how you want to frame your message. If you want to illustrate how different facilities hire and manage their departments, choose a structure that will allow you to compare and contrast strategies. If your message would be represented more thoroughly through the description of major issues in the marine biology field, use a categorical structure. For example, start your presentation writing outline with an introductory section followed by a section where you relay the main 3 factors contributing to the increase or decrease in marine biology positions.
Presentation Tips:
Even after organizing your narrative structure, you haven’t completed the process. Follow through by planning for your transitions from one stage to the next. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How does one section of my material relate to another?
- Where do these connections make the most sense based on my presentation purpose?
- What tactic will I use to make the transition? Will I use a personal or client story? Will I establish a cause and effect relationship?
If you are unsure which content structure is the best one for you, remember the 3 W’s – What? Why? And How? The 3 W’s in the marine biology example are listed below.
What: Marine biologists are struggling to find jobs in the industry today.
Why: Many zoos are removing their marine exhibits. Facility budgets have steadily decreased throughout the past decade. More individuals are entering the field than ever before.
How: Through expanded education and a redefinition of the industry, prospective marine biologists may join the workforce in a more secure position.
Static plot
This is of debate in the literary community. You’ve got F. Scott Fitzgerald who said, “Character is plot, plot is character.” But then, there’s George R.R. Martin who said the exact opposite: “If all we care about is advancing the plot, why read novels? We can just read Cliffs Notes.” For presentations, however, err on the dynamic side when it comes to your plot. If a sentence, statement, quotation, or story doesn’t advance the narrative of your presentation, there is no reason you should include it in your speaker’s notes. When we are introduced to conflict, our brains respond by ranking the experience a priority for our memory. The release of cortisol impacts the hippocampus so much that we recall the moment and corresponding message.
Download this free template to assist you in defining your presentation conflict.
Presentation Tips:
Be a scientist when writing for your presentations. Take out a pen and paper, open up a Word document, or log in to Evernote – whatever tool you use, write out your script from beginning to end. Short hand of course. No one is grading you. Read through it several times. Pinpoint the slow parts of the narrative. Begin a second draft; this time consciously experimenting with possible conflicts to implement in order to move your presentation forward.
Literary misuse
Or literary nonexistence. The metaphor has become widely accepted throughout the presentation community, while other literary elements have remained hidden. Even though presentations provide people with complete visual choice, descriptive speech still reigns supreme.
Presentation Tips:
Instead of saying that Nike increased sales after implementing your unique leadership management strategy, say that Production Manager John collaborated with a couple of his hardest-working employees, Becky and Nate, to transform their processes. This makes your story even more relatable and attainable to any audience member.
Inadequate wording
Powerful presentations emphasize intentional word usage. Powerful presentations shun the passive voice; keeping the verbs in their script in their simplest forms. The writing of your presentations is responsible for ensuring ease of delivery of your message. You don’t want to make your audience digest more than they absolutely have to during your talk.
Presentation Tips:
When you are writing your script, make sure that you are putting your verbs in the simplest of forms; that you aren’t using jargon or unnecessary abbreviations. You need to walk that line between losing the meaning of your point and losing the attention of your audience.
Conclusion
Presentations exist as an avenue, and an opportunity to tell others something powerful and insightful. Don’t compromise your deck by neglecting your presentation writing. Here are more resources to improve your script:
6 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Speech on Any Topic
