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Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills
By Larry Tracy
In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a valuable lesson for business
presenters. As General Halftrack walked into his office, his secretary asked: "How
was Lt. Fuzz's presentation?"
The General replied: "Like the Washington Monument." Puzzled, the secretary
asked, "The Washington Monument? General Halftrack responded, "Yeah, it took a
long time to get to the point." |
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How often have you felt the frustration of General Halftrack because the speaker
didn't "get to the point?" Worse, have people listening to your presentations
been exasperated because they didn't know where you were taking them, didn't know what was
your point?
An audience, whether it is one person or many, wants speakers to provide maximum relevant
information, delivered in minimum time and in the clearest possible terms, centered on the
needs and concerns of the audience.
Time is the defining aspect of any presentation. Few audiences have the time for a full
exposition of a subject. Presenters must reduce and translate the salient data into an
easily and quickly understood message.
The 3-1-2 System, the heart of my presentation skills workshop, enables presenters to
organize their thoughts in the optimum manner to implant their message in the collective
mind of the audience, and to Get to the Point.
Most people prepare their presentations using a 1-2-3 Method, drafting in the order of how
they will deliver - (1) Opening, (2) Body and (3) Conclusion. This is the method to
organize our thoughts we have been taught since elementary school.
Unfortunately, this system leads to various false starts, because the presenter is
attempting to place the ten gallons of knowledge he or she has on the subject into the
eight-ounce glass of the presentation.
This method is not flexible, and forces the presenter to make changes on the fly. This
results in time-pressed presentations lacking coherence. The traditional system of
organizing our thoughts is simply not geared to 21st century presentations.
Let's see how the 3-1-2 system can help you "Get to the point."
Place the 30-60 second Bottom Line of your message on a 3x5card. This phrase, which should
be the intersection of the audience's needs and your objective, goes on this card, which
you mark with a 3.
Now, insert in front of this phrase words that signal the close of your presentation, such
as: "So, in conclusion" or "Let me leave you with this thought." You
now have the words with which you will close with "punch."
This is your closing argument, to borrow a trial lawyer's technique. This phrase can also
provide you with a a mini-presentation when you find that the allotted time for your
presentation has been sharply reduced at the last minute.
Next, take another 3x5 card, mark it with a 1 and write an opening phrase that will cause
the audience to listen because you have hit a psychological "hot button" that
sends the signal "This will benefit you," or "This will keep you out of
trouble." A startling statistic or an apt quotation from a well-known (to the
audience) figure could also be in this opening as an attention-getter.
You might wish to include your "3 card" conclusion in your opening statement,
and then inform the audience that you will now proceed to prove the validity of your
conclusion.
The audience now knows where you are going, and can, in effect, open "files" on
their mental desktops in order to absorb this information. Audience members will know at
the outset just what is your point. They won't have to wait.
Remember that a business presentation is not a mystery novel. You want your audience to
know "who shot John" right away, and then proceed to show the evidence. Above
all, you want your audience to be alerted to the fact that you know what their material or
psychological needs/problems are, and are prepared to provide information that addresses
these concerns.
With the 3 and 1 cards filled out, you have the parameters of your presentation
established. You know where you are going and can thus structure your presentation so the
audience knows where you are taking them. Take a few cards, marked 2A, 2B 2C, etc. and
list your supporting arguments.
The 3-1-2 System ensures that the most important information you wish the audience to
retain and act upon is placed at the beginning and the end. The 3-1-2 system will help you
"Get to the point," and avoid the criticism General Halftrack meted out to Lt.
Fuzz.
Larry Tracy, author of The Shortcut to Persuasive Presentations, available at Amazon.com,
is a retired Army colonel. President Ronald Reagan called him "an extraordinarily
effective speaker." He now conducts executive presentation skills coaching. Contact
him at (703) 360-3222, info@tracy-presentation.com. For free tips on presentation skills,
visit http://www.tracy-presentation.com |
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