Back to basics: quick and easy ways to develop a great presentation, part 3: organize your information into digestible chunks.

The ideal organization follows the magic formula 3-3-3: three parts, three key points, and no more than three support points for each key point.

Part 1 of this series discussed how to give your audience a single, clear message relevant to them. Part 2 showed how to support this message with convincing evidence. Now let's turn to the third requirement: organizing your information into chunks people can easily follow.

THE MAGIC NUMBER 3

Here is a safe assumption about your audience: they have experienced more than their fair share of chaotic presentations--and they are not going to put up with another one. So, as soon as they suspect another stream-of-consciousness talk or some mysterious, convoluted arrangement of ideas, they will tune out and catch up on their sleep. Alternatively, if they are power figures, they may cut you off and start firing questions.

For you, this means you must demonstrate right away that your talk has order and simplicity. One of the simplest and most attractive schemes relies three times on the magic number 3:

1. Organize your talk into three parts: introduction, body, and summary.

2. Keep your key points down to three.

3. Support each key point with no more than three subpoints (arguments, explanations, or examples).

EXCEPTIONS--AND A CAVEAT

Of course, the magic formula states only an ideal. If your subject clearly has five essential parts, then five key points are better than three that divide the subject awkwardly or illogically. Similarly, if a key point has six major aspects that you think you must present, then that is what you should do.

However, as the numbers get bigger, take a critical look. Are you seeing things from the audience's perspective, or are you being seduced by the specialist's love for his or her subject? Completeness is not only tiresome but also dangerous, as it invites critics to pounce on minor, weaker points. (See our discussion of "trustworthy evidence" in the preceding column.)

MAKING YOUR ORGANIZATION TRANSPARENT

Unfortunately, the fact that your talk has a reasonable organization does not mean the audience will necessarily perceive that organization. For instance, if your introduction is long, some listeners may think you have moved into the body. (A solution to this common problem, of course, is to keep introductions very brief and free of detailed discussions.) Similarly, the border between key points #2 and #3 may be blurred if you offer many intricate arguments for point #2.

How can you make sure your audience understands your organizational scheme and follows along at all times? By making intelligent use of previews and transitions.

Your key points should be previewed in briefest form and reinforced with a visual at the end of the introduction, right after you announce your main message. Not only does this give listeners a clear picture of the content they can expect, but it signals that you are moving from introduction to body.

Similarly, subpoints for a key point should not be revealed one by one, in "suspense" fashion, but previewed as you begin to discuss that key point. It may not seem the most elegant way to weave your tale, but if that tale is in the least complex, it's your only chance to avoid confusion.

Transitions let you summarize a point and lead right into the next one:

    "So, as you can see, manual control of this process introduces
    inconsistencies in the product that are no longer tolerated by our
    customers. [Summary of key point #1] Now, let's look at the
    proposed solution, a system with automatic feedback control."
    [Transition to key point #2]

Your final transition, of course, is the trumpet call for the end: "To summarize, then ..." Be sure never to omit that one--you don't want anybody to miss the all-important reminder of your main message and key points!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Cheryl and Peter Reimold have been teaching communication skills to engineers, scientists, and businesspeople for 20 years. Their latest book, The Short Road to Great Presentations (Wiley, 2003), is available in bookstores and from Amazon.com. Their consulting firm, PERC Communications (telephone: [phone], e-mail [e-mail]), offers businesses consulting and writing services, as well as customized in-house courses on writing, presentation skills, and on-the-job communication skills. Visit their web site at www.allaboutcommunication.com.

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