Most of us have heard this well-worn advice about structuring a talk:
Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em
Tell ‘em
Then tell ‘em what you told ‘em.
I have to admit, this rankles me a little. If this was all there was to being an effective speaker, everyone would be one. Clearly, this formula doesn’t always work—at worst, it can lead to speakers literally saying “Let me tell you what I’m going to tell you” (I have witnessed this more than once). And at best, it talks down to the audience and doesn’t provide engagement and variety.
But what can we learn from this that’s helpful?
Repetition is our friend. It’s true that we need to be exposed to the same idea more than once, and in different ways, for it to really sink in. And giving structure to a talk is important—it’s great to let the audience know what to listen for, and to come back to the same idea more than once so it has a chance to stick.
But instead of just “telling,” let’s think about other ways we can get our message across.
We can share a story, give an example, provide data, create an analogy or extended metaphor, use an illustrative quote. We can use humor, play music, show a short video clip. We can start a conversation with the audience, meeting their need in real time. We can share a relevant article or book we read on the topic.
I’d like to offer this instead of the tell/tell/tell formulation:
Ask yourself what your audience needs to hear
Challenge yourself to meet their need
Create a memorable experience.
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