Clarify your main message fast (& instantly make a BETTER presentation)

Boring presentations are everywhere. 

And the one thing they all have in common?  NO KEY MESSAGE.

Too many presentations are just an overwhelming onslaught of information. “Hey, here’s some data, and check out this trend, and oh wow, a video…” You can imagine the process: someone sits in their office, pulls out reports and graphs and statistics and then tries to make sense of it all.

Unfortunately, a pile of information without a simple main message just becomes gobbledygook for the audience. You could have the fanciest graphics, stunning data and dynamic stories all lined up and ready to go, but without a main message threading everything together, your presentation quickly becomes a pile of incomprehensible goo. (In other words…boring AF.)

Why you need a main message

Your key message is often the simplest statement, idea or piece of information that you want your audience to carry away with them. And it doesn't matter if you’re sharing a presentation, talking to media or leading a pitch meeting with a new client. Every time you get up to speak, you need to identify one simple statement that you want to share. 

Because with a main message identified, you suddenly know exactly what back-up material you need to make your points. The structure of the presentation is easy to choose. And the flow of information follows quickly, because you know what you’re trying to talk about. 

Identifying your key message FIRST is crucial.  And the best way to do this? Ask three questions.

3 Questions to help you find your main message

Identifying your key message is pretty simple.  

To identify your key message, ask these 3 questions:

• What’s the ONE THING I want my audience to remember? 

• How can I share this simply and clearly? 

• Why should they CARE? Why is this important?

For your key message, edit your ideas down into a simple sentence that is easy to remember (and simple to understand). Test it on friends: does it make sense? (If anyone says "huh?" then go back to the drawing board. 

Your key message should feel like a nugget of useful information that orients everything you present.

So make sure it encapsulates the work you do...AND what that means for your audience.