CRAFTING A CLEAR MESSAGE – Page 2

What’s your point? 4 tips on writing the message for your presentation.

September 5, 2011February 1, 2015refusetobeboring2 Comments

Think about the last presentation you attended; what was the presenter’s point? Designing a presentation around the most important point (the message) greatly increases the chances that the audience will remember it over time. This is why presentation design starts with crafting a clear concise message. One mistake presenters make is to assume an audience can remember multiple “takeaways”. The old saying is true; if everything is important then nothing is important. I follow a message crafting framework that is taught by Dcode communications (www.dcodecommunications.com) in their presentation training program called Wavelength. They recommend crafting your message by completing the statement What I really want you to understand… Read More

Try writing a logline for your next presentation

April 3, 2011February 1, 2015refusetobeboringNo Comments

A dashing archaeologist must reunite with the ex he dumped if he is to beat the Nazis to find the all-powerful lost Ark of the Covenant. Do you recognize this? It describes the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark; that is its logline. Loglines are used by screenwriters to describe their film’s story in a sentence or two; the rule is 27 words or less. A logline answers the question, “So, what’s your film about?” Screenwriters create a logline at the beginning of the writing process in order to test their story concept. They need to break down a complex book or story into simple components in order to fit… Read More

Are your presentations a “Message in a Bottle”?

February 6, 2011February 1, 2015refusetobeboringNo Comments

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… Read More