130: Be Clear Or Be A Disaster

<p>Most talks and presentations we hear, we cannot recall.  Why is that?  We were there presumably because we had an interest. The presenter no doubt made an effort to share something of value with us.  They probably spent hours on their presentation slides and were perhaps somewhat anxious about giving the presentation.  So a lot of nervous energy was expended in the exercise, but with a zero result.  If we can’t remember the content or the speaker, then it is hard to say it was a success, wouldn’t you say?</p> <p> </p> <p>Part of the problem is the way people present their information in the first place.  The slides are too dense and confusing.  The delivery is done in a lethargic manner, devoid of passion, with zero body language backing up the key points.  Sitting there listening, we catch that disease from the speaker very swiftly and suddenly we don’t have any passion for the exercise either.  We hear a monotone voice droning on and on, like the humming white noise from your electrical appliances.  The speaker may also be speaking too fast because they are nervous or may just be a serial mumbler, who is hard to catch.</p> <p> </p> <p>The design of the talk may not flow well, so it is hard to make the mental move from understanding one point to understanding the next.  The speaker may decide to improvise and sweep us all off on to a tangent, that has little to do with the main menu.  We rarely make it back, because we have now lost interest in what they are saying and we are playing with our phone instead.</p> <p> </p> <p>A recent presentation had elements of this. The speaker was quite a smart person, having built their business up from zero and is now winning large contracts from big players in Japan.  The slides outlining the details of how the software worked were dismal.  It was complex and disconnected.  It was assaulted by numerous tangents of tangents, totally wrapped up in diversions.  The delivery was lifeless and humdrum. There were no crescendos, no light and dark elements – no contrasts.  It con