Once you know this, you can’t un know it, and it will change how you present forever. And, just quietly – read to the end to see how it will impact relationships with significant others too..
The scene is this..
You’re excited for the presentation. You’ve spent hours creating your slides. They’re packed full of information and data and you’re sure they will support the important business case you’re making.
The meeting arrives, and you talk through your slides.
But people look confused, maybe even disengaged.
You don’t seem to be making the impact you hoped when you spent all those hours creating your presentation..
What went wrong?
Maybe you weren’t well prepared. But you know that wasn’t the case. Maybe you were overawed by the occasion, but you don’t think that was true either. You were slightly nervous, and maybe that made you speak quicker than usual, but other than that – you felt you made all the points that you wanted to.
So, it wasn’t what you said or how you said it. What else could it have been?
When we think about poor presentations – we often start with the presenter. Are they clear? Articulate? Do they know what they’re talking about, and share that message with energy?
But often, that isn’t the problem.
The problem is the powerpoint slides. Or more importantly, the problem is our ability to read the powerpoint slides and listen at the same time.
The brain and the powerpoint slides
Here’s what we know about the brain. With thanks to the wonderful book, Stop Talking Start Influencing by Dr Jared Cooney Horvath.
- When we read, we talk to ourselves in our brain. Go on, try it out now. When you’re reading this, you’re actually speaking the words (not out loud – but speaking just the same)..
- The brain “hears” that talk the same way as it hears a person talking to us.
- The brain can’t “hear” two things at once.
- So it will prioritise what you’re saying or what it’s hearing from reading the slides – but not both.
- Which means that either your audience are listening to you, or reading the slides. Not both.
- Which means that your audience is missing the full impact of your presentation.
- Even if your slides say exactly what you are speaking – the brain reads quicker than what you’re speaking at – leading to a disconnect between the words on the page and what you’re saying. Leading to confusion.
- Add in zoom/teams meetings, where people’s attention is already distracted and you have the perfect storm.
What does this mean?
- Slides should only have seven words or less on them. The brain can read up to seven words and still listen.
- Images are ok so long as they don’t need interpretation (cartoons, overly detailed images).
- Graphs don’t work unless you stop speaking and allow people the time to properly read them.
- Or you build the graph as you speak. Or you clearly identify the element of the graph you’re trying to draw attention to.
- Don’t hand out handouts (same same as the powerpoint slides as people try to read those and listen to you).
The Takeaway
If you want people to be attentive and listening –
- 7 words or less
- Good quality, evocative images
- Graphs that are built as part of the presentation or very specifically labelled
- And of course, worry about the what and how you actually present, that’s a given!
How this applies to your significant relationships..
I promised I would tell you how this applies in our personal lives too.. So, here’s another game changer.
The same principle is true for watching tv/partner trying to speak to you.
Or reading a text,Facebook post, whatever/and a significant other trying to speak to you.
Wherever you are reading/typing and trying to listen to two “voices” at once, only one will be heard. So when your partner says “you never listen to me”, they just might be right!
More Resources..
Glossophobia – fear of public speaking
Stop talking, start influencing – Jared Cooney Horvath
Want more?
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See you soon,
