I have a habit of competing in speech competitions. I will generally compete against 4-5 other speakers who will all be graded, as will I, by judges. The best speaker will be awarded a prize. This can be grueling and it generally is. As a result of competing I have learned a number of practical lessons regarding communication. I have even won a few of these contests based upon what I have learned.
I would like to share three key points that I have learned by competing:
- In every speech, if I want to do well, I have to connect with my audience.
- Every speech has to have structure.
- You can only cram so many words into a timed speech (about 200 words a minute). Since these competitions are timed you can’t go over the time limit or you will be disqualified.
These three skills are important when one is communicating to an audience. How would these principles apply to an audience if you one were to use PowerPoint while presenting? They directly apply!
- Can you connect with your audience? Most great communicators will connect with an audience without the use of slides. Think of JFK, Ronald Regan and Jerry Seinfeld. Can they communicate without a PowerPoint? Sure they can and so should you. People don’t connect with the slides and the fancy screen dissolves, they connect with you.
- Does your presentation have structure? Make sure that your presentations have a structure or a plot. What is the story that you are sharing? Make sure that the PowerPoint is structured and that there are smooth transitions between the points. Define the main message that you are going to communicate and then break down the presentation into an understandable format. An example of this would be: One third for the introduction of a topic statement, one third for how you arrived at the topic statement and facts to support your claim or argument, and one third summarizing the importance of your claim or argument.
- How many Slides will you have in your presentation? There are only so many slides that you can cram into a 20, 40, or 60 minute presentation. Find out what works for you. I would suggest that you not try to present more than one slide every two minutes. Therefore, a 40 minute presentation should have approximately 20 slides and no more. Resist the temptation that more is better. In this case less is better. Use the extra time that you have to connect with the audience and tell them your story.
Remember the three fundamentals of communication and don’t be distracted by the technology. You will be glad you did, and so will your audience.
