Organizing the Content for a Powerful Impact

Good organization and intentional repetition in your presentation are the two most powerful keys to audience comprehension and retention. Many speech experts recommend repeating your main points in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your presentation. Here are the three steps:

• Step 1: Tell them what you're going to say
• Step 2: Say it
• Step 3: Tell them what you have just said 

Let's examine how to construct the three parts of an effective presentation.

 

1.      Capturing Attention in the Introduction 

Strive to accomplish three goals in the introduction of your presentation:

• Capture listeners' attention and get them involved
• Identify yourself and establish your credibility
• Preview your main points

If you are able to appeal to listeners and involve them in your presentation right from the start, you are more likely to hold their attention until the finish. Some speakers achieve involvement by opening with a question or command that requires audience members to raise their hands or stand up. To establish your credibility, you need to describe your position, knowledge, or experience—whatever qualifies you to speak. After capturing attention and establishing yourself, you can preview the main points of your topic.  

 

2.      Organizing the Body 

The biggest problem with most oral presentations is a failure to focus on a few principal ideas. The body of your short presentation (20 or fewer minutes) should only include two to four main points. Develop each main point with adequate but not excessive explanation and details. Too many details can obscure the main message, so keep your presentation simple and logical. 

Below are some methods and examples to help you organize a presentation:

• Chronology. Example: A presentation describing the history of a problem, organized from the first sign of trouble to the present.
• Geography/space. Example: A presentation about the changing diversity of the workforce, organized by regions in the country (East Coast, West Coast, and so forth).
• Topic/function/conventional grouping. Example: A report discussing mishandled airline baggage, organized by names of airlines.
• Comparison/contrast (pro/con). Example: A report comparing organic farming methods with those of modern industrial farming.
• Journalistic pattern. Example: A report describing how identity thieves can ruin your good name. Organized by who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Value/size. Example: A report describing fluctuations in housing costs, organized by prices of homes.
• Importance. Example: A report describing five reasons that a company should move its headquarters to a specific city, organized from the most important reason to the least important.
• Problem/solution. Example: A company faces a problem, such as declining sales. A solution, such as reducing the staff, is offered.
• Simple/complex. Example: A report explaining genetic modification of plants, such as corn, organized from simple seed production to complex gene introduction.
• Best case/worst case. Example: A report analyzing whether two companies should merge, organized by the best-case result (improved market share, profitability, employee morale) as opposed to the worst-case result (devalued stock, lost market share, employee malaise).

When organizing any presentation, prepare a little more material than you think you will actually need. Experienced speakers always have something useful in reserve, such as an extra handout, transparency, or idea—just in case they finish early. 

 

3.      Summarizing in the Conclusion

Listeners will remember the conclusion more than any other part of a speech; therefore, you should spend time to make it most effective. Strive to achieve three goals:

• Summarize the main themes of the presentation.
• Leave the audience with a specific and memorable “take-away.”
• Include a statement that allows you to leave the podium gracefully.

Skilled speakers alert the audience that they are finishing. They use phrases such as, In conclusion, as I end this presentation, or, It's time for me to sum up. Then they proceed immediately to the conclusion.

A straightforward summary should review major points and focus on what you want the listeners to do, think, or remember. You might say, In bringing my presentation to a close, I will restate my major purpose …, or, In summary, my major purpose has been to…. In support of my purpose, I have presented three major points. They are (1)…, (2) …, and (3)….

If you are promoting a recommendation, you might end as follows: In conclusion, I recommend that we retain Matrixx Marketing to conduct a telemarketing campaign beginning September 1 at a cost of X dollars.
 

A conclusion is similar to a punch line and must be memorable. Think of it as the high point of your presentation, a valuable kernel of information to take away. Avoid merely rehashing in the same words what you said before.

You can also use an anecdote, an inspiring quotation, or a statement that ties in the opener and offers a new insight in your conclusion. Whatever you choose, be sure to include a closing thought that indicates you are finished.

Watch Great Openings and Closings: