SCORE: Tip #2 - Content
Back in the beginning of time when a caveman wanted to communicate his feelings he didn't use words. His communication consisted of a few grunts but mostly he showed what he meant by taking action. We've all seen jokes where the caveman drags a woman to his cave by her hair. If he wanted to tell other people where food could be found he scratched pictures on cave walls. Words didn't exist then. Physical language was the first language.
Over the centuries we have tried to substitute words for physical language and yet in more recent studies (Melhabrian, 1969; Information on Paralanguage from the American Trial Lawyers Association) It has been estimated that a least 93% of our ability to connect with our audience, that is to gain their attention and their commitment, has to do with our physical language. By physical language we mean the tone of our voice, our facial expressions and our body language.
If we take a technical explanation and try to describe it only using words, chances are we will be doing what is commonly referred to as a "brain dump" and to the audience it looks like what we call a "Talking Head" presentation. Everything is static. Because we are physical creatures it is very difficult for people to focus on our information when we deliver it in a static manner. This doesn't mean our words are not important but that the way we use our words is more important. The challenge is to find ways to connect with our audience on the physical or energy plain.
Tip #2: When you look at your content ask yourself, "How can I use fewer words and make my point in a way that involves the imagination of the audience so that they feel connected and involved with my presentation?"
