Prof. Kristan Wheaton, Associate Professor at the Mercyhurst College Department of Intelligence Studies, and owner of the Sources and Methods blog, is concerned about coming across as "selling":
I have followed your blog for some time and have found many of your insights to be truly helpful. This post, however, caused me to think of a very real problem that I have. I teach intelligence analysis. Analysts are often called on to give presentations. One of the fundamental rules of these presentations is that they not be attempts to persuade or to "sell" an analysis -- facts, logic and estimative conclusions are expected to speak for themselves. That said, there are clearly elements of good presentation technique that simply help make the information accessible without coming across as an attempt to "sell" (using readable fonts comes to mind as an example). The goal, as I tell my students, is to effectively communicate the results of your analysis without coming across as trying to sell your analysis. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on this particular problem? Kris
I have heard this concern before--not surprising, since the majority of people who attend my workshop are analysts.
There is an important distinction to be made here. On the one hand, yes, you do have to "sell" your audience on the fact that the conclusions from your analysis are correct. This is especially true if they come with an opposing, (and hence, based on your analysis) false view. You owe it to them to help them accept your analysis--otherwise of what value is your analysis if it's ignored or rejected out of hand?
On the other hand--and this is your concern, I think, Kris--you do not in any way want to be usurping their decision-making power. There may be other factors of which you are not aware, and so you cannot say definitively that they should do x, just based on your analysis.
So go all out to persuade them that the results of your analysis are correct and worthy of consideration, but stop short of trying to tell them how to do their job.
I'm happy to continue these discussions if people find them helpful.
"RP" had a follow up question from our recent exchange.
Thanks for the response. I would say that most of the audiences of teaching presentations are already "sold" on the reason they need to sit through a talk: their grade depends on it, a patient's life may depend on it, etc. Once I've made the sale I'm still stuck with how to present the information. Many times the information are just plain lists: "these drugs may cause QT prolongation," "here are 20 causes of pancreatitis," or "here are the findings of such and such a study." I've been trying to contextualize it somehow, finding a meaning behind all the information - though this isn't always possible. I've even tried adapting a SCoRE method: present part of a case and then come upon a problem - discuss how to fix it, continue with the case and then come to another problem, etc. This works but can get cumbersome if there's a lot to cover. Additionally, we often have to present in a ballroom (literally) and while the conference room method is better, we have to project to many. What would you suggest - Just give everyone handouts? Many audience members take offense if there are no bullet points. Thanks again, I'm going to continue to think about this. - Rahul ("RP")
Rahul: the S.Co.R.E. method should not get cumbersome if you make sure that the Complications are indeed interesting for your audience, and not just fake ones designed to tee up your next fact. If you have lots of facts to convey, such as your "20 causes of pancreatitis," you don't need to name every one of them out aloud. List them as part of your slide, name one or two, and say "and you can see the rest on your handout."
And yes, if you do want to convey details, then you should make a Conference Room style presentation. The point is: do you, or do you not want your audience to take away the details with them? If the answer is yes, then it is absolutely pointless to project bullet slides, because only someone with photographic memory will remember them.
If you use a properly designed Conference Room style slide, as laid out in the Anatomy of a Conference Room Style Presentation, then the details will not overwhelm your slide; in fact they will reinforce your message.
An animated cartoon about the Federal Reserve has made quite a stir online. "Quantitative Easing Explained" has been viewed 4.2 million times as of today, and was featured in a Wall Street Journal article in last Friday's print edition, by Ellen Gamerman, entitled "Animation Nation" (temporarily accessible without a subscription).
According to the article, sites like Montreal's Xtranormal make it easy to create such animated videos. The first time I saw this video, I didn't actually "see" it, I just listened to it, because I was driving at the time (and even in Washington DC bumper-to-bumper traffic, it's not a good idea to be watching the video screen of your phone while driving...). I loved it, I thought it was hysterically funny.
And that's the point here, I think. It's not really about the animation; it's all about the dialog. The WSJ article quotes Richard Appel, a TV producer:
It's a writer's medium that cleverly found a way to get people to look at their screen and listen to what's being said.
The animation supports the dialog, but that's all it does.
And so everything depends upon the dialog. Proof? The Reply to Quantitative Easing video, posted shortly after the original (they've both been out for about 3 months now), was also created on Xtranormal's site, and uses exactly the same animated characters and background as the original. Yet the Reply has captured fewer than seventy-five thousand views. Why? I think it's because it's dialog is lame.
What makes good dialog? Quantitative Easing works because of its snappy question and answer format. Here's the opening of the movie:
Did you hear about the Fed?
No, what about the Fed?
They announced another round of the quantitative easing.
what does that mean?
it means they are going to make large asset purchases via POMO.
what does that mean?
it means they are going to expand their balance sheet and buy treasuries.
what does that mean?
it means they are going to print a ton of money.
so why do they call it the quantitative easing? Why don’t they just call it the printing money?
because the printing money is the last refuge of failed economic empires and banana republics, and the Fed doesn’t want to admit this is their only idea.
Omid Malekan, author of this video, refers to it as "Socratic Satire."
Followers of this blog will recognize in this question and answer approach a close similarity to the S.Co.R.E. method of storytelling--and therein lies the appeal. An interesting question and answer sequence keeps the viewer's interest going, just like a good story.
So if you want to write a catchy animated video, use the S.Co.R.E. method.
A viewer of this blog ("RP") recently asked the following question in a comment, and I promised to respond:
I've read and loved both of your books ("[Advanced Presentations by Design]" & "The Presentation"). I am struggling with one thing though, how to make informative presentations? I'm a physician in an academic center and our culture is rife with bad presentations, violating all the rules you set forth. I've read books by others suggesting to have no words, only pictures, etc and this will not be accepted in medicine. We need the data and the sources. This is what appealed to me about your approach. I understand how to use your approach for a persuasive presentation, but what about one to teach? And one to teach complicated material? Right now we rely on bullet points (and it barely does works). Do you have any advice? Thanks!
Thanks for the question, RP. In my workshop I make the point that you will be a more effective presenter if you convince yourself that every presentation is an attempt to persuade. Sounds radical, but it's a useful attitude to have. If you think of every presentation you make as having to persuade someone to think or do something differently, your communication will have much more impact. This is because you are forced to think through what the implications are for your audience: why do they need your information, how does it change their world, why should they care?
It's useful to think of this in terms of the Problem you are helping your audience solve (Step 3 in the Extreme Presentation method). Ask yourself "What could go wrong in your audience's life if they didn't have the information I am trying to present/teach?" Whatever that answer is, that's the problem you are helping them solve.
You mentioned that you are a physician, so I presume that you are teaching medical students or colleagues. Here's a suggestion: begin your presentation by noting what could go wrong if someone were unaware of the information you are about to give them. Perhaps even share a grisly anecdote about an incident that happened because someone didn't have this information. Now you've got their attention, and you can proceed to share the information (always following the S.Co.R.E. method, of course) because now you have persuaded them why they need the information.
How do you take a pile of information and decide in what sequence to present it so that it tells a compelling story. In my two books, I describe the S.Co.R.E. method for creating a story (stands for Situation, COmplication, Resolution, Example; note to McKinsey consultants and others raised on the Pyramid Principle--this is not the same thing at all). It's a very powerful tool--in my workshops, it is usually the top ranked tool of the day.
In preparing a blog post today (which I will post shortly) I realized that it would be helpful to post some material about the S.Co.R.E. method. Take a look at the following, if you haven't already seen them:
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