Leave a lasting impression using impactful data! How can you use statistics to tell a story?
Wednesday: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants
Mastering the art of public speaking, or at least learning how to effectively get your message across, provides lots of benefits.
Some of these benefits include: audience engagement, an increase in brand credibility and interest, a boost in audience trust and confidence, and leading interesting discussions in your niche are just some of the public speaking benefits you can enjoy.
In my 30 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, I’ve had my fair share of listening to impactful presentations and even until now, the messages I heard from those presentations still resonate in my mind.
As an independent professional, you have to enhance your public speaking skills, as this will give you an edge, no matter what type of industry you’re in.
Keep reading to learn how you can effectively discuss complex data and statistics in a way that your audience can easily understand.
I hope you find this week’s topic informative and useful as you incorporate statistics in your presentation.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Speak on the Shoulders of Giants
Speeches are designed to impact an audience.
That’s why it’s structured to be memorable and meaningful.
History’s greatest public speakers know how to harness the power of speech to capture and captivate an audience. One notable example comes from Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address where he talked about climate change:
“2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does – 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.”
While few people would recall a speech in its entirety, it’s important to provide them with key points and moments that will leave a lasting impression.
One of the best ways that you can add these moments into your speech or presentation is by including relatable and relevant statistics.
This public speaking technique of seamlessly integrating statistics into your speech is called THE POWER STAT.
— This is just one of the powerful secrets featured in James C. Humes’ book, “Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln.”
At times, speeches and presentations would be used as a way to raise awareness and morale.
Simultaneously, they can also be used to create conversations and introduce ideas to a larger audience.
When done right, statistics can leave a significant impression while providing data that helps solidify your message.
You can use a Power Stat in any part of your speech or presentation.
It’s up to you.
A common mistake that many speakers tend to commit is providing too many numbers.
While this means you are presenting factual data, you are also at risk of numbing your audience by barraging them with too many numbers in one sitting.
To prevent this from happening, you can follow the three R’s of presenting numbers: Reduce, Round, and Relate.
- Reduce – According to surveys, listeners can take away one statistic from a single presentation.
If you have two different statistics, you have to select one that would leave a stronger impression. Statistics can be interpreted in various forms and choosing one that looks more striking should be your ideal choice. - Round – While stating an exact number can help prove a point, it is more effective to round a number up or down to make it easier to understand. For example, instead of saying “20% of people,” you can say “one out of five people.”
- Relate – Another effective way to make people remember statistics in your speech is by comparing it to something tangible and relatable to the audience.
This makes it easier to visualize the data you present. For example, you can compare the size of a location by mentioning a familiar place that has an equivalent size. Instead of saying “94 feet by 50 feet,” you can simply say, “the size of a basketball court.”
Many times people can find it too challenging to wrap their heads around all of the statistics being thrown around during a presentation. Following these steps will make your data easier to present and comprehend.
Information also has the ability to shift opinions and influence an entire audience, which is why statistics are a dynamic element that you can add to get your point across.
Using statistics would help strengthen your credibility as an independent professional, and even leave your audience intrigued in the process.
With a Power Stat, you can use statistical data to your advantage to get your audience’s attention, and create a more compelling presentation!
Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!
