Every talk has two risks:
- Someone misunderstands a detail.
- Everyone misses the point.
The more you try to prevent the first, the more you risk the second.
Which is exactly what most speakers do when they’re facing an important talk. They add nuance and facts to make the message more and more bulletproof. But with each bit of detail, the point becomes harder to see.
The opposite is usually the better choice: protect the point and risk the footnote.
Here’s what that looks like when you prepare your next talk. Whenever you want to add another detail, ask yourself:
“If I leave this out, could they miss my point? Or might they simply have a question?”
If they could miss the point, put it in.
If they might simply have a question, trust them with the question.
Here’s the thing:
A great talk doesn’t make every misunderstanding impossible.
It makes the point impossible to miss.
But of course, in reality that’s often harder than it sounds. Here are two frequent questions I get.
Problem 1: But how do I do this when I have different groups in the audience who need different amounts of detail?
You usually don’t need to bring everyone to the same depth.
You need to bring everyone to the same point.
Most speakers attempt the opposite. They try to get everyone to the same level and they do it upfront. They start with all the background because some people in the room might not have it yet and then they go way deeper than most of these people can handle.
So the experts become impatient and the newcomers feel overwhelmed.
When you start with the point instead, the experts can connect it to what they already know. And when you then go into some details, the newcomers can connect it back to the point.
In a mixed room, the experts will always understand more than the newcomers. That’s fine. Just don’t let them leave with different versions of your message.
Problem 2: But what do I do when my team keeps adding material because every department wants its part represented?
Don’t ask whether their material is important. It probably is. Ask whether it’s important in this moment? Most of it perhaps isn’t.
Specifically, ask everyone this question:
“What will the audience fail to understand or do if we leave this out?”
If there is a clear answer connected to the point of the talk, put it in.
If the answer is “They should know we contributed,” leave it out.
Your talk isn’t supposed to give every department equal airtime. It’s supposed to help the audience see what matters.
Your job as the leader is to protect that.
Your team might not like it at first. But they will eventually … when you bring them actual business through a clear talk. That’s when their moment to shine comes.
Keep lighting the path,
Michael
PS: If you want my help crafting a talk that protects your point, consider a 1:1 Clarity Lab.
