π = 3.14159265359. Just how accurate do you have to be to make an impact in your presentation?
Wednesday: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants
Accuracy is important in presenting facts and information.
It helps establish our credibility and expertise in our career.
But when it comes to a speech or presentation, how accurate should you be?
In today’s article, you’ll learn that as a speaker, it’s also important to simplify your presentation for your audience.
There’s no need to mention up to the last decimal of the statistic you're presenting.
Remember that accuracy, when not handled properly, can cause confusion rather than clarity.
Your audience won’t remember all the numbers you present, so it’s more effective to simplify that information into something they can understand and recall.
Keep reading to know how accurate you should be when it comes to presenting facts, data, and other statistics to your audience.
I hope you find this week’s public speaking tip insightful as you prepare for your next speech or presentation.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
We are well aware of the stress everyone goes through when they need to represent their brand or company in front of an audience.
If we could avoid being put in that position, we would.
But… that shouldn’t be the mentality!
According to an article, “If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.”
Public speaking is an important, learnable skill… we just need to practice.
Yes, it’s easier said than done so we’re here to help and share with you some useful tips!
Being accurate on the content you present plays a vital role in your effectiveness as a speaker.
Most speakers spend a lot of time validating their ideas and making sure the right information is presented.
That’s a good thing.
You want to make sure that what you say is correct and credible.
The content you present can be details from history, information on current events, scientific studies, and even numbers or statistics.
But how accurate should you be?
In the event that you’d need to present and mention data that involves numbers, remember to simplify.
This tip helps your audience have a better grasp on your ideas. It also makes it easier for them to remember important details.
Present numbers in a simpler format by rounding them off.
Instead of: 8,345,678 subscribers
Just say: Over 8,000,000 subscribers
Avoid unnecessary decimals and percentages.
Instead of: PHP 8,850.9678 per market share
Just say: Over PHP 8,000 per market share
Instead of: 25% out of 100% of the population
Just say: One-fourth of the population
Make your graphs or charts easier to read and interpret by using only the numbers and data you need.
Instead of:
Just use:
That’s it!
Most of the time, the audience won’t even remember numbers down to the very last decimal.
You paint a better picture of the message you’re trying to convey when you describe data in a more familiar way.
You don’t want to confuse your audience and have them still thinking about your previous idea or slide while you’re already on the next one.
Try to apply this tip in your next presentation.
It’s effective and definitely worth the effort!
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Register here for The I Institute's upcoming program: Building your Financial Future - Simple and Powerful Investing Strategies for Individuals and Families on March 18th.
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!
