Simple ideas

Did you ever struggle to get a simple idea across? This might explain why …

We’re so good at adding stuff to our ideas. For example:

Among the most popular stuff is fancy words to make it sound more spectacular.

We use complex, industry-specific terms that sound eloquent but might not be understood by everyone.

We include more information than necessary to make us sound professional but that might overwhelm or confuse the audience.

We try to address too many concepts at once instead of focusing on a single, clear message.

We load the explanation with what-if scenarios and edge cases before we’ve made the idea itself clear.

But how often does this actually make our ideas easier to understand?

If we want others to get our idea, it’s often best to just say what the idea is in the simplest way.

Adapt or Attract

Two ways to resonate strongly with your audience.

Adapt your messaging to the audience.

Or.

Attract your audience with your messaging.

Which one do you choose? Why?

Audience responsibility

One of the newer trends on LinkedIn is to tease a post with a provocative statement and then use some blank lines so that you need to click on read more to get to the reveal.

It works.

Until it stops working.

Which happens when audiences will have learnt that the tension that was created by the statement is usually just fake tension. That more often than not the reveal isn’t really worth it.

Which is when the next trend will take over.

That works.

Until it stops working.

Because audiences will have learned that the tension that was created by the trend is usually just fake tension.

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Audiences are just as much responsible for great communication as are the communicators. What gets applause, will get amplified.

If you decide that fake tension is not worth amplifying, you shouldn’t applaud it.

Who is your presentation actually for?

Most people would answer that it’s for their audience. But more often than not it turns out that that’s a rather fuzzy term. Often it’s actually for …

Themselves: It’s about what they are proud of and what matters to them. These people often use terms like “innovative”, “breakthrough technology” etc.

The board: It’s about what they think pleases the board. So, they include all sorts of stuff that’s irrelevant for their audience but that needs to be in because someone said it’s important and can’t be left out.

The committee: It’s the least common demoninator that’s left after everyone had their say.

Their peers: It avoids anything that might expose them among their peers. “We just don’t do it like this over here”, so they don’t do it, either.

All of this is valid and it might be just the right thing to do for this specific occasion. But don’t forget that there’s always the other way: To give a speech that resonates so strongly with the people in the room that their feedback will prove you right. In any case, it helps to have clarity about who the presentation is actually for and then go all the way in that direction.

Spread the Word

Picture of Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz