Presenting

by Norman Eng

  A Bad Message:

  Audiences will learn a new research approach to help bilingual students better improve language acquisition.

  A Focused Message:

  Audiences will learn that an "experiential learning" approach can help bilingual students acquire language more effectively by immersing them in more familiar and real situations.12 (Isn't this what audiences care about? Isn't this what matters? Isn't this an intriguing message?)

  So, how do we craft an effective one-sentence message or takeaway?

  PRESENTING. The Topic vs. the Message.

  First, let's be clear about the difference between a topic and what you teach/present. Topics are typically the names of textbook chapters, such as:

  Media and Technology

  Chemical Bonding

  Global Inequality

  Money and the Banking System

  Tailoring Techniques for Trousers

  Topics could also be the title of your handouts. In a conference setting, your topic may relate to new research, technology, processes, paradigms, or ways of doing something.

  Your message, on the other hand, isn't global inequality

  or tailoring techniques for trousers. It is a narrow subset of the topic. One way to find your message is to ask yourself, What do I want my audience to know most about this topic?

  The following criteria can help. What part(s) of your topic is:

  complex and/or easily misunderstood?

  a major pillar or principle in your field?

  In economics, supply-and-demand would qualify (at least compared to, say, the theory of optimal taxation). It's complex. It's also a major principle in economics. So take out theory of optimal taxation from your presentation or lecture. Here are a few more examples:

  Yes, your presentation is about the most important part(s) of the topic. It's not about covering everything. That's where professors and presenters invariably fail.

  The textbook is responsible for covering everything. You are responsible for magnifying the most important parts.

  The textbook is responsible for covering everything. You, as the presenter, are responsible for magnifying the most important parts.

  This is no different when presenting at a conference. While attendees may come in without having read anything about your topic, you still need to distill your research. A great presenter will highlight the part that matters to their audience.

  In that way, the worst thing to do is go over the context of your research (i.e., background/ framework), your data-collection methodology, your findings, and the implications of those findings—in that order. That's how most of us present research.

  PRESENTING. Your One-Sentence Takeaway.

  None of it moves people. Even if it's the norm.

  Here's your template to create your one-sentence takeaway:

  By the end of the presentation, audiences will be able to [know or do XYZ], so that [their lives will be improved in XYZ way].

  Modify the sentence to fit your situation. Here's an example for a classroom lecture:

  By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how "systems" perpetuate global inequality, so that they can recognize problematic systems and potentially create better ones.

  Here's an example for a conference:

  By the end of the session, audiences will learn that an "experiential learning" approach immerses bilingual students in more familiar and real situations, so that they can acquire language more effectively.

  There are two parts of the one-sentence takeaway: the What and the Why. Define both.

  What do audiences need to know (or be able to do) by the end of the presentation?

  Why do they need to know (or do) this?

  Undoubtedly, the content (the What) is important to define. But before you present, you have to be clear about the purpose (the Why). In fact, the Why is the most important part of your one-sentence takeaway. Without it, people won't care about your presentation. How does your content relate to their lives?

  The Why drives behavior, according to leadership guru Simon Sinek. In his book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,13 Sinek argues that successful organizations understand that people won't buy into whatever is being sold unless they understand why they're doing it. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, for instance, didn't just market computers (i.e., the What); he marketed the idea to challenge the status quo—to "think different" (i.e., the Why).

  When you present, you're trying to get others to accept your point of view. In the end, you want people to change or act in some way. And audiences won't do that unless they understand why the content matters.

  Sometimes, the Why sounds rhetorical.

  Why should students learn how to write a persuasive essay?

  Why should they learn about supply-and-demand?

  But it's not always obvious to them. Students often think of your lessons in narrow, short-term ways, which is far removed from reality. So I make sure to spell out the Why explicitly in every presentation or lesson. I don't assume they know.

  PRO TIP!

  With classroom presentations, add a How to your one-sentence takeaway. This answers the question: How will your students learn the content? This is the method, strategy, activity, or tool you want students to use.

  For instance: Students will be able to evaluate the credibility of online sources (the What) by using the "triangulation" method (the How), so that they make better buying decisions (the Why).

  The How specifies the actual learning that takes place.

  Here, the one-sentence takeaway evolves into more of a one-sentence lesson plan.14 It crystallizes the three most important parts of your presentation: 1) what students need to know (or do); 2) how they will learn this; and 3) why they ought to learn this.

  Chapter 4 will help you flesh out your How.

  PRESENTING. THE BOTTOM LINE

  When defining your main message, figure out Why people need to hear that message. That's what people care about. Without addressing it, you will sound like every other presenter.

  12 This topic is used for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to reflect the latest (or actual) studies.

  13 Sinek (2011)

  14 If you want to learn more about how to create a "one-sentence lesson plan," see https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-andlearning/focus-your-lectures-with-the-one-sentence-lesson-plan/ (Eng, 2018, September 24)

  03

  YOUR OUTLINE

  KEY INSIGHT:

  START EVERY PRESENTATION WITH THE WHY

  "Today, we're going to go over Piaget's theory of cognitive development . . ."

  Or maybe:

  "In this presentation, I'm going to talk about a new approach to [XYZ] in the mortgage industry . . ."

  You ever hear presenters start this way? It's probably the worst way to get attention. Why? Because the brain— the primitive part, at least—tunes out messages that are unclear, complicated, irrelevant, and/or boring. That's 90 percent of messages out there. Which makes sense, since we're exposed to thousands of commercial messages a day.15 As long as your well-being is not being threatened, your primitive brain16 will try to ignore the message or spend the least amount of time on it.

  Think of your primitive brain as the bouncer at an exclusive club. He's the gatekeeper. He decides if you get in. So, you better stand out in some positive way—whether you're attractive, you've got style, you're a trend-setter, or you have an inside connection. Because in the end, only 10 percent of club-goers get in.

  Like the bouncer, your primitive brain is constantly on alert. On the defensive. So it ignores 90 percent of messages directed at you. Only those which are simple, clear, nonthreatening, and novel/intriguing make the cut. Once they do, the midbrain and neocortex can process the message more in depth. Here's where audiences will listen to the content, the details, and the logic.

  The bottom line? Ineffective presenters fail because they communicate with the high
ly developed part of their brain (reasoning and logic), even though audiences receive the message using their primitive brain (fight-or-flight).17

  Ineffective presenters fail because they communicate with the highly developed part of their brain (reasoning and logic), even though audiences receive the message using their primitive brain (fight-orflight).

  And if your presentation is dense, forget it. The brain shuts down.

  You need to get to the point fast. Usability design consultant Steven Krug captures that point in the title of his book, Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.18 Audiences only care about how your presentation relates to them. In the last chapter, we talked about defining your purpose (i.e., your Why). Why is this important to them? So always address the Why at the beginning of your presentation.19

  Let's refer to the "one-sentence takeaway" example for a sociology class (from Chapter 2):

  By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how "systems" (like the government) perpetuate global inequality, so that they can recognize problematic systems and potentially create better ones.

  The What and the Why are clear:

  Now, focus on the last part—the Why. How do you relate it to students' lives? How might they recognize problematic systems and potentially create better ones?

  Certainly not by starting with: "There are three factors that perpetuate global inequality: unfair tax systems, lack of Systems perpetuate global inequality rights among workers, and poor public services."

  The better way is to get students to see frustrating systems and structures in their own lives.

  So you might start the presentation with a story like this:

  "A few weeks ago, I had to buy a new refrigerator for my parents. But right off the bat, the new fridge had problems. It was leaking water. It was all over the inside shelves, which dripped everywhere. A lot of the food went bad. So I had the repair guy come in. He said the door needed readjustment, because it wasn't closing right, and it was letting in warm air. OK, fine. So he fixed the door. But in two days, the fridge was still leaking.

  "It took another couple of weeks for the guy to come back, and he said he needed to fix the seal in the door. And guess what? That didn't work either. The guy came five times and couldn't get it right. By then I was like, 'Can't you just authorize an exchange?'

  "And the manufacturer kept delaying and delaying. They didn't want to admit their product was bad and issue a credit. They claimed only the store I bought it from can issue credits. But when I talked with the store, they said only the manufacturer can issue approvals in the system, which would then allow the store to exchange the fridge. It's like the right hand wasn't talking to the left hand, and I'm the one that has to deal with the bureaucracy. I'm thinking, Why can't you guys talk to each other? Why do I have to go back and forth? I must have spoken with them at least fifteen times over the phone.

  "I was this close to calling the Better Business Bureau and one of those news shows where the reporter tracks down rogue businesses and confronts them with a camera crew—you know what I mean? I was ready to give up.

  "So, class, let me ask you: Has anything like this—where you're trying to get something done, maybe register for classes, fixing a car, going to the DMV, ordering something and they're rude, whatever—ever happened to you? And you're like, 'I'm never doing business with you guys again'?

  "Do me a favor. Think about this for a minute and jot down your thoughts. We'll share your experiences in a bit."

  Can you see what I did here? I used a story—a bad experience where I tried to exchange a defective refrigerator—to relate to an otherwise abstract idea: bureaucratic systems. I made the idea concrete. Easy for the audience's croc brains to relate to and accept. I didn't explain how systems perpetuate global inequality first; that's higher-order thinking stuff for later on.

  If you start by asking yourself why students should know this idea (the purpose—the Why), you can relate it to their lives more easily.

  The takeaway: Relating your takeaway message to your audience's lives at the beginning is the single most effective way to 10X your presentation.

  Relating your takeaway message to your audience's lives at the beginning is the single most effective way to 10X your presentation.

  Let's see how this might work at an education conference, using the one-sentence takeaway from Chapter 2:

  By the end of the session, audiences will learn that an "experiential learning" approach immerses bilingual students in more familiar and real situations, so that they can acquire language more effectively.

  Again, I've identified the What and the Why:

  How can I relate this to conference attendees (likely other teachers)? Here's one way:

  "By a show of hands, how many of you have bilingual students in your class? OK, great. For me, it's not easy to help bilingual students acquire language. I'm sure many of you know what I mean. Students feel forced to speak about topics that aren't relevant. They hesitate to participate because they don't want to look bad. I get it. So I wanted to do things differently.

  "What if we immersed them in real situations? Like at a restaurant or a store? Where students have to order food or pay for stuff? That's what I wanted to find out."

  This opening would naturally flow into my research on the benefits of the "experiential approach" to instruction. Again, I didn't start with the research. I didn't even start with that term, experiential approach. I simply related to the struggles bilingual teachers face.

  Now they have context and are ready to hear more.

  Now they see a point to being here.

  Now they're going to care what I have to say.

  Now they're paying attention.

  This is how to present effectively. Start with the Why.

  Your big revelation up front will sustain the rest of your presentation. Don't make the audience earn it.

  Unfortunately, professors almost never start their presentations this way. They think more about:

  What should I teach?

  What goes in this slide?

  What examples should I include?

  Wrong, wrong, wrong. Those questions should be considered only after you've figured out your main message and the reason your message matters. You start with the message and the purpose.

  Most professors wait until the end to make the "big reveal." Unless you have a good reason to do this, that's almost always a bad idea. Instead, your big revelation up front will sustain the rest of your presentation. Don't make the audience "earn it." Their brains won't wait.

  PRESENTING. Your Structure.

  Now that you've opened with Why, what does the rest of your presentation look like?

  First, let's determine your structure. Academic presentation formats are typically related to one of the following:

  Instruction

  Process/Sequence

  Research & Development

  Summary

  Instruction. Here the presenter is teaching in the traditional sense, whether lecturing (e.g., the concept of debits and credits) or demonstrating (e.g., how to use a ruler for patternmaking, as one might see in a technical course). Such practice-based or theory-based instruction is usually seen in a classroom or workshop setting.

  Process/Sequence. Information is arranged according to a process or a step-by-step sequence. You'll see this in reports ("Here's what we did this quarter . . ."), project roll-outs ("Here's what happened first . . . next . . . last . . ."), or "how-to's" ("The steps needed to get certified in teaching are . . .").

  Research & Development. Usually, you'll see these presentations in conferences or graduate courses. Experts reveal their latest findings in their industry. It could be theory-based ("Does mindfulness help us become less sensitive to rejection?") or practice-based ("What evidence-based practices improve patient satisfaction?").

  Summary. A summary-type presentation might provide an overview of a topic (e.g., charting the current state of diplomatic
efforts in Afghanistan for a political-science class). It might also trace how something has changed over time (e.g., the evolution of teacher education from the normal schools in the late 1800s to the period of scientific efficiency in the early 1900s to the era of competency-based education in the 1960s and '70s).

  Note that formats may overlap. For example, a presentation that helps young scholars write more effective grant proposals may be lecture-based (as one might see in a workshop) while also focusing on an itemized process (Step 1, Step 2, etc.).

  Since we spent so much time creating one-sentence takeaways (see Chapter 2), you might be wondering: How does one boil down, for instance, the current state of diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan into one message?

  There's so much to unpack with this particular topic, so I understand why presenters don't even consider simplifying their message. Examples like the above, however, need the one-sentence takeaway for that very reason.

  When you plan your presentation, think about why you're giving audiences all this information.

  Here's where identifying the Why helps. Ask yourself, What is the point of you giving an overview of the current state of diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan?

  Your answer to that question is your one-sentence takeaway.

  Presumably, your overview about the current state of diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan leads to some sort of conclusion—whether it is positive or negative. Maybe it's that we need to overhaul our efforts ("Today, I want to show you why we need a new approach . . ."), or maybe you want the class to problem-solve ("Today, your goal is to evaluate our diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan . . .")20

  So when you plan your presentation, think about why you're giving audiences all this information.