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Present Statistics In Context
"I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only 1600 pairs." Imelda Marcos Everything's relative. A million dollars sounds like a lot of money to someone who makes an average salary, but it's a drop in the bucket to a Warren Buffett or a Bill Gates. Running a hundred metres in a few seconds seems like a miracle to ordinary mortals, but a track and field athlete will work hard to shave even more off that time. Yet presenters often quote statistics without benchmarks, so the audience doesn't know how to evaluate them. Is $10,000 a lot of money? Well it is for a bicycle. It's not much for a house, unless that house is in a small village in a third world country, where it might be exorbitant. If you quote numbers this way, you will lose the audience while they try to decide whether $125,000 is good, bad or indifferent in this context. Your statistics lose their power. In a presentation skills workshop for a group of lawyers, one participant was practicing his delivery of an address to the jury in an upcoming trial. He was asking for damages in the amount of $750,000, and hoped the jury would consider it reasonable. It's quite a large sum, and most ordinary folks think of that kind of cash as a lottery win. He needed to put it in context for them. He might, for example, ask the jury to suppose they were thirty-five years old and earning a salary of $40,000 a year. By the time they reached the age of sixty-five, allowing for reasonable increases, they could expect to have earned a certain amount. (He would do the arithmetic and insert the actual sum.) That amount would be what is called their "expected lifetime income". However, if they were involved in an accident and suddenly unable to work any more, that amount now represents their "forfeited lifetime income". That is what happened to this claimant, and the amount he would have lost was $750,000. So in fact, counsel was asking no more than the amount the man would have earned, had he not met with this unfortunate accident. Don't you think the jury is more likely to agree when given this background explanation? Here are three ways to put figures in context for your audience. 1. Compare them to something to which they can personally relate, as in the courtroom example. 2. Compare them to a similar situation. If a new manufacturing process takes fifteen minutes, mention that the old one took two hours, so we save 1-3/4 hours. For even more effect, tell them how much time this will save in an average shift or on a certain number of product units. Go further and translate that time into money and the statistic will now be a strong argument for change. 3. Create vivid word pictures to illustrate size: That's the equivalent of five football fields. That's enough to fill ten Olympic-size swimming pools. If laid end-to-end they would stretch from New York to L.A. and back again. Statistics can be great persuaders, but only when the audience has the means to evaluate them. Helen Wilkie is a professional keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and author, helping companies save their money and people save their sanity through better communication. Her latest book is "The Hidden Profit Center-a tale of profits lost and found through communication." For more articles and other information, visit www.mhwcom.com">http://www.mhwcom.com While you're there, sign up for Communi-keys and receive monthly communication techniques directly from Helen.
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Qualities of Good Communication Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "a giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc." The primary goal of communication in a training setting is to transfer information to participants in such a way that a maximum amount of the message is understood and retained. Improve Your Bottom Line with What You Say When was the last time you thought about what you were actually saying to potential clients? Are you closing the deal more often than not? Or maybe it's time to revamp your elevator speech or introduction.Remember potential clients do not want to hear statistics about you and your company; they want to know how your product or service will benefit them and make their life easier. Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations and now you're ready to show the world all your company has to offer. You set up some appointments for sales presentations with a few members of the local Chamber of Commerce. Cell Phone Dos And Dont During A Meeting What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there's a scary question. It's hard to imagine a world without them. After the Speech Usually the emphasis on making an effective speech is what you do in preparation before the presentation begins. But if you speak very much, what you do after the speech can help you become a more effective speaker. Incorporate Humor in Your Next Speech Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my speech; I just don't feel comfortable with it." I believe that anyone can use humor and that it is a valuable tool in speaking. 5 Breakthrough Marketing Ideas Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you putting in a lot of effort but not getting the results you want? Don't you wish you could just hit a switch and get a better response from your mailings, sales calls and web site?You hear a lot about breakthroughs; is it all hype, or can you really create a breakthrough in your marketing and sales? I know that you can.I spent last weekend skiing in Vermont with my spouse, nephew and his finance Sonia. Top 6 Reasons Why You Need a Remote for PowerPoint Presentations A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters put too much emphasis on PowerPoint and technology while neglecting the message and interaction with participants. One way to deliver more effective presentations that improve your connection to your audience is to add a remote control to your presentation tools. Ten Fun Ways to Liven up Any Presentation Most of us would agree that having humor in our lives increases rapport, strengthens our relationships and overcomes communication barriers. People who work in a positive, often playful environment are more likely to stay. Problems with the Lecture Format ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use lectures as your sole training technique? Nearly always? Often? It's not unusual for trainers to use the lecture technique exclusively. After all, this is what we have all seen and are familiar with. Top Ten Rules for Effective Presentations I am of the belief that the majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone say, "Wow, she was great! Did you see how effectively she used her hand gestures?"That said, here are some ideas to help you become a better speaker. Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact with presenters. Story Telling As a Business Tool Long long ago, it was the time when time itself stood still That was the time this story of story telling began When everyone listened to the story and people learned And that was the time people were also very happy Because they were listening to a story.Stories have been the purveyor of knowledge from time immemorial. Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a valuable lesson for business presenters. As General Halftrack walked into his office, his secretary asked: "How was Lt. Give Your Audience Something to Talk About There is an old saying: "The first thing to do when the audience goes to sleep is to prod the speaker." Most presentations are not intense enough. 10 Profitable Tips for Creating Better Sales Presentations No matter what your business is, you will enhance your level of success by developing a well-organized sales presentation. A good sales presentation involves two primary elements:(1) The pre-planned sales talk. Media Training 101: Where To Look During A Television Interview Ever had that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing where to look when making a point, delivering a message or asking a question?Nervous furtive glances looking sideways, upwards or downwards? Anywhere but the gaze of the person you're trying to persuade and influence.Effective communication is about making an emtional connection with another human being. Tech Tips: PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts for PowerPoint Slide Shows Whether you use a mouse or a remote control to navigate through a PowerPoint slide show presentation, it is also handy to use keyboard shortcuts. Here is a selection to try:? Run a slide show: [F5]. The Relationship between Information Sender and Receiver: The Art of Communication For communication to take place, a message must be transmitted by a communicator and correctly received by a listener. If the message is not understood, there is no communication. Present for Success: Simple Strategies to Add Confidence and Credibility to Your Next Presentation Tomorrow's the day and you're dreading it. You're scheduled to give a presentation to the senior management team about the new program you're proposing.
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