When you speak about a topic you know well, one the hardest things to do is determine what information belongs in the presentation and what you must leave out. The default position is to fit as much in as you can, to tell the audience everything you know, to show your homework. “After all,” the thinking seems to go, “they can’t fault me if I give them all the details.”
When we were in school, you had to demonstrate to your teacher that you knew how you arrived at the answer; giving evidence in a paper or showing the steps of a math problem. It was important to prove that you knew all of this so that you got full credit for your work.
But the intention for a presentation is not “to prove you know your stuff.” It’s not an exam. It’s an opportunity to get other people excited about your ideas, to engage them in your thinking, to get them on your side, to ignite their passion for change, to motivate them. And including too many details actively works against this objective. It’s very hard for an audience to remember a lot of information, and the more you give, the more you leave us on our own to decide what’s most important.
Work backward from your intention (to excite, to connect, to inspire, to persuade) to determine what belongs in your presentation. Be rigorous in including only what will help your audience feel connected to the big picture of your idea. You can always give them more details in a question and answer session or in supplemental materials; don’t drag down the speech itself with more information than it needs.
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