Episode #274: Presenting Complex Information

What is a complex subject? That really depends on the audience. If they are all experts in that subject area, then the presentation can and must be done at the same high level. If they are not knowledgeable on the subject, we need to avoid assuming too much prior exposure to related information and not use jargon and acronyms. There are varying levels of difficult themes when presenting. It is relatively rare that we have to present highly complex content in a standard business talk. Rather, this type of activity would take place at specialist conferences and at industry events, where the audience are experts or at least dilettantes. This is usually an inform type of presentation, where we are going to clearly explain a technical or complicated matter and pass on insights, data, statistics etc.

We have a number of guiding requirements when we are designing this type of presentation.

1. We need to develop flexibility in making complex material simple and understandable. We often work inside our own mental framework, where we know what we are talking about and assume that is the same for everyone listening. We need to step outside our bubble and see the content from the audience’s point of view. How can we deliver the message in a way which will overcome their barriers to understanding? How can we communicate in a way which makes the subject seem simple to grasp?

2. We must seek ways to communicate the information in an interesting manner. Storytelling is brilliant for making dry facts and figures spring to life and attain a relevancy which appeals to our listeners. We should definitely never resort to speaking in a brutal monotone when delving into the bloody entrails of the subject. Voice modulation, pauses and hitting key words harder than others, will provide the light and shade needed to create variety in the delivery, making it easier for everyone to follow our key messages.

3. Let’s relate to the audience at their level. This can be tricky because there is rarely the same level of expertise in the room. We have to aim for the lowest common denominator and speak at that level, without alienating the actual experts in attendance.

4. We must follow a logical progression of ideas otherwise the complexity of the subject will lose members of the audience. It is hard enough to deal with difficult subjects without making the delivery hard to follow as well.

5. We shouldn’t forget to develop emotional contact with the audience. Well designed visuals can connect to everyone’s emotions. Like storytelling, the slides can bring a dry idea to life and make it compelling. Showing the results before and after in visual form, especially using photos, is both powerful and convincing. Importantly, we must have one idea per slide as our standard, to make sure the audience can understand the point of the side in just two seconds.

6. As always, when thinking about how to approach the nitty gritty of the talk, we begin by designing our two closes. What is the key information we wish to inform our audience about. We must work hard to strip this down to the minimum number of words required because that will aid gaining clarity. The second close can just be a repeat of the first close or we could express the key point in a different way.

7. Now we work on the core message. Depending on the length of the talk, we will build a certain number of chapters, each of which provides the evidence and proof to back up what we are telling everyone about our subject.

8. Finally, we design the opening. In the case of complex information we can use an analogy. How does this work? An analogy is very useful when we are trying to explain complex concepts in a simple manner. We are comparing the similarities of two dissimilar things. For example, “designing the corporate strategy is like ordering a gelato”. In this example there is nothing similar between designing corporate strategy and ice cream. We are taking two dissimilar things and connecting them to make a point.

9. Having stated the analogy, we now have to explain what we mean, so that the audience can get the point. We continue, “When we order the gelato, we hope this is going to be what we want and will give us the flavour and taste outcome we want, but no matter how good it looks in the refrigerated cabinet in the store, we won’t know the truth until we actually taste it. This is the same with corporate strategy. It may look perfect on paper and the design seems to make logical sense, but we won’t know if it works until we apply it”.

Obviously, this is the design stage where we start with the end, but in fact we are going to deliver the talk in this order: analogy, analogy explanation, main body, close number one, transition to Q&A, close number two.

Whenever we have a complex subject to present, we need to approach it differently from our usual garden variety talks. The basics don’t change – we need a good design and an excellent delivery, but the mindset needs some revision before we begin the process. If we do this then our talk will be well received and we will continue to build our personal and professional brands.