Your audience remembers far less of what you tell them then you might think. David gets it right when he says you should be able to sum it up on the back of a business card. If you can’t? Don’t present it until you can.
A few tips on making it stick…
– Say it in the ‘right’ order: your audience is most likely to remember what you say first in a sequence and also what you say at the close of your presentation. So put your most important point at the start, and summarize it again at the end.
Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.
– Help your audience make connections: find a way to weave your smaller points into a story or analogy (one that’s specific to your audience). They’ll be much better at remembering your points if they fit into a larger context.
– Ask for ‘thinking’ participation: if possible, build in moments of silence and explicitly ask your audience to consider how they might apply what you’re saying or paint a mental picture of what their lives might look like if they implement what you’re suggesting. If they actively engage in your material, they’re far more likely to remember it.
