In 1979 the band The Police released a song called Message in a Bottle. I think that the chorus is a good metaphor for some presentations:
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Have you ever had what you think is a great idea and you want others to buy in? You throw your idea out into the “ocean” of your organization (via email) and then plan a meeting/presentation to discuss it.
The presentation is a great opportunity to “sell” your idea. However, if your presentation is not persuasive and memorable your idea could become a message in a bottle….floating around the organization but never finding a home. Colleagues may say, “What was the idea that Joe had?”
In my experience, crafting THE presentation message is one of the most challenging parts of presentation design; you must identify a single, clear, and concise message. I start by asking myself the question, “What is the one thing I want the audience to remember after they walk out the door?” The message is what drives the presentation; a focused message ensures what needs to be remembered is remembered.
Hope is not a strategy. Don’t just hope that your audience will get your message; take time to craft the message and design the presentation. (I will discuss crafting a presentation message in a later blog)
Joe Pops
Refuse to be Boring – join the revolution
