The General replied, "Like the Washington Monument." Puzzled, the secretary asked, "The Washington Monument?” General Halftrack responded, "Yeah, it took a long time to get to the point."
How often have you felt the General Halftrack’s frustration because the speaker didn't "get to the point?" Worse, have the people listening to your presentations become exasperated because they didn't know where you were taking them or the point you were making?
An audience, whether it be one person or many, wants speakers to provide maximum relevant information, delivered in the minimum amount of time, and in the clearest possible terms.
Time is the defining aspect of any presentation. Few audiences have the time for a full explanation of a subject. Presenters must reduce and translate the salient data into an easily and quickly understood message.
The 3-1-2 Method, enables presenters to organize their thoughts in the optimum manner, in order to implant their message in the collective mind of the audience, and to “get to the point.“
Most people prepare their presentations by using the 1-2-3 Method: (1) Opening, (2) Body and (3) Conclusion. This is the method that we have been taught and have used since elementary school.
Unfortunately, this system most often leads to various false starts, as the presenter attempts to place the ten gallons of his/her knowledge on the subject into the eight-ounce glass of the presentation.
The traditional system is definitely not flexible, and forces the presenter to make changes on the fly. This results in time-pressed presentations that lack coherence. The old system of organizing our thoughts is simply not geared to 21st century presentations.
Let's see how the 3-1-2 Method can help you "get to the point."
Place your 30-60-second objective on a 3x5 card. Mark it with a #3. This phrase should be at the core of the of the audience's needs. .
Insert in front of this phrase the words that signal the close of your presentation, such as: "So, in conclusion" or "Let me leave you with this thought." You can now close with "punch."
This is your closing argument, to borrow a trial lawyer's technique. This phrase can also provide you with a mini-presentation, if you find that the allotted time for your presentation has been sharply reduced at the last minute.
Next, take another 3x5 card and mark it with a #1. Write an opening phrase that will make the audience listen, because you have hit a psychological "hot button" that sends the signal, "This will benefit you," or "This will keep you out of trouble." A startling statistic or an apt quotation from a well-known (to the audience) figure could also be included in this opening as an attention-grabber.
You might also wish to include your "#3 card" conclusion in your opening statement, and then inform the audience that you will now proceed to prove the validity of your conclusion.
The audience now knows where you are going, and can, in effect, open "files" on their mental desktops in order to absorb this information. Audience members will know on the outset just what your point is; they won't have to wait.
Remember, a business presentation is not a mystery novel. You want your audience to know right away "who shot John.", You can then proceed to show them the evidence. Above all, you want your audience to be alerted to the fact that you know what their material or psychological needs/problems are, and are prepared to provide information that addresses these concerns.
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