What differentiates a clear presentation from a vague one? Yes, sometimes the underlying message of the presentation isn’t well thought out. But too often the message itself is not the problem – it is poor use of language that is muddying the message.

Today’s blog is about using precise and accurate language to ensure the clarity and quality of your presentation. Admittedly, the title says nothing about accuracy, but “language as an accurate instrument,” just doesn’t have the same ring.

So, let’s look at three ways you can clean up your language:

Say exactly what you mean.

This might seem like an obvious guideline, but is not always applied. I often see language that is approximate to the meaning the presenter would like to convey. Take for example the words “precise” and “accurate.” They are often used interchangeably – but they do not mean the same thing. “Precise” means being exactly that – nothing more or less, whereas “accurate” means free from error. You should choose the words that most accurately portray what you mean.

Use a language your audience understands.

You may be wondering, who would speak German to a Spanish speaking audience? While in the most basic sense you must communicate in a common language, you must also be aware of the jargon and acronyms you are using with each audience. Financial analysts will have a different level of technical understanding than a group of CIOs. As a result, you must adjust your language to accommodate your audience.

Select powerful words, not more of them.

The Oxford dictionary lists over 250,000 words in the English language. But they are not all created (or used) equally. Your presentation should use words that add power and meaning to your message, as opposed to bogging it down with industry or academic jargon. Several short, pithy sentences will have a much greater impact than 1 compound sentence.

I’d be interested in hearing your approach and anecdotes for cleaning up the language within a presentation. Comment below to share your story!

We are in the middle of a set of blogs that talk about how one can structure an executive presentation to have a real impact on an audience. One of my favorites is the “myth versus reality” talk. In this structure an executive takes a set of reasonable sounding beliefs and debunks them one at a time. This can be done seriously, but one can mix humor and serious points in a manner that keeps the topic fresh and interesting.

Our team created a talk for an executive speaking at an MBA graduation ceremony. In that discussion, the executive cited very reasonable things and then explained why it wasn’t really true. Mostly the myth and reality examples were funny – as these commencement discussions should be. But she ended with this:

Myth #10: You can never thank the people that helped you get here enough

Of course you can. You all have cell phones. You could send a text to your mother right now thanking her for making you do your homework. You could send an email to your Dad thanking him for, among other things, funds. You could find the professor that inspired you and thank him right here.

Of course you can thank the people that got here enough. But we seldom do.

OK. Wait until after commencement. But let your first great act after graduation be thanking those that got you here. They’ll be proud of how things turned out.

Couple of structural considerations:

Notice she enumerated the myths ending with 10. For some reason there are some numbers that are better than others. 3. 5. 10. So, enumerate.

Consider ending with a myth vs. reality that wraps up the whole talk and offers a central conclusion. As our friend did here.

Finally remember the thing that makes myth vs. reality work is surprise. Your “myth” should sound true and realistic. Only as you debunk the myth does a new, more powerful perception take its place.

When should this be used? When you have perceptions to correct. When the audience knows the topic well. And, you have fresh perspectives to share.

Which reminds me. Share your perspective on myth versus reality.

Historical analogy is a way to build context and reinforce the key point of an executive speech. History can be a powerful tool if the story-line is unambiguously true, the history itself has an emotional impact and you can create line of sight from the history you are describing and the point you want to make.

Historical framing can fail for a number of reasons.

You get the history wrong. Or someone disagrees with your version of history. Don’t, for example, discuss the discovery of America. There were people here already. The Norwegians think they did it. And some of the Europeans we might be discussing didn’t land in North America; they hit some islands south of here.

The history doesn’t bear directly. For example, if your discussion is about innovation and your story is about accidental discovery, there is some disconnect. Penicillin comes to mind. Which, by the way, there is some controversy around.

It takes too long. Your description of man reaching the moon takes as long as the journey itself. People tire of the story and it loses its impact and importance. Even though the date that man landed on the moon is more likely to be taught to students 200 years from now than any other date that I can think of.

It is a story we all know. Like the man on the moon. Heck, some of us are old enough to remember the landing itself. The familiar nature of the story diminishes its power and impact.

There is no fresh insight. This is a close cousin of the story we already know. If you are going to discuss the discovery of penicillin, offer new insight about the power of the discovery that illuminates. And be sure that insight bears on your story.

The worst case I ever saw: An executive presented, as part of his sales conference keynote, the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright. He had the history right. But this was a sales conference. Methodical testing and conservative design approaches had little relevance. It took 20 minutes. Everybody knew the story already. And the emotion was a little contrived. Basically it failed on every level. The eyes that were still open were rolling.

Nevertheless, history as context and a clear source of lessons can be very powerful. If you have a favorite example, share it here or send it to me. I’ll be happy to share it on the blog.

It might have been the One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson that said you should first criticize and then praise when reprimanding an employee. Or it might have been someone else.

Attribution, though important, is not the point.

The point is: Hurt ‘em, then heal ‘em is one of the most effective ways to structure your executive presentation if you need to motivate action around an issue.

First, Hurt ‘Em

Bad news, provided in a frank and honest way, can make you more credible and real to your audience. Also, it can demonstrate insight and resolve with respect to understanding the underlying issue. And once people agree with your assessment of the problem, they are ready to listen to your suggestions regarding the answer.

In the movie On Any Given Sunday, coach Tony D’Amato provides a frank assessment to his team.

I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives. All comes down to today, and either, we heal as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play. Until we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And, we can stay here, get the s*** [my edit] kicked out of us…

Then Heal ‘Em

When using this technique, don’t mix stuff up. Give them bad news on top of bad news until, as one of my colleagues put it, the audience is “marinating in their misery.” After you have them agreeing. Pause. Then provide the answer the audience is ready to hear and on which they are ready to act.

Coach Tony D’amato continues

…or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell… one inch at a time.

Now I can’t do it for ya, I’m too old. I look around, I see these young faces and I think, I mean, I’ve made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I’ve pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know, when you get old, in life, things get taken from you. I mean, that’s… that’s… that’s a part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losin’ stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game – life or football – the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the f****** [my edit] difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I’ll tell you this, in any fight it’s the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I’m gonna have any life anymore it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that’s what living is, the six inches in front of your face.

Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think ya going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it you’re gonna do the same for him. That’s a team, gentlemen, and either, we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. That’s football guys, that’s all it is. Now, what are you gonna do?

Hurt ‘em, then heal ‘em is a powerful technique for storytelling that captivates, communicates and motivates action. There are other storyline structures for other situations. Tell me about the structure you like and when that structure really works.

After all, the story is everything. Tell me yours.