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bespeaking their language
One of the best benefits of being a presentations coach is the opportunity to get to know a host of different, interesting businesses and professions. From the time I begin helping a client design a presentation to "show time", I learn a LOT about their line of work. Unfortunately, I often have to get them to stop speaking "their" language and start speaking Plain Old English. Sound familiar?
When we're immersed in a field of knowledge for any length of time, we learn the particular vocabulary that goes along with it. We start talking in lingo, acronyms, short handing stuff. It makes us feel like we're "part of" this new field of business; we "get" it, we're "in". We chat with others in our same field, our own language flying back and forth like we're a part of some special secret society . In fact, we get so accustomed to speaking our "trade lingo" that we forget how to speak about our profession in Plain
Old English.
Not a big deal until we set out to give a presentation to a customer, prospect, or other audience outside our profession. They don't speak our language, don't get our lingo, won't understand our acronyms. That's why they have a look of mild confusion and disengagement on their faces as we go through our presentation. We've probably tossed out some term or
abbreviation that makes perfect sense to us, but might as well be Swahili to our audience.
Sometimes it's a word they might even hear and see quite often, but they don't have any real idea of what it means. Take the word "kilowatt" for example. Now, I'll bet most of us know that this word signifies a measurement of energy, right? But how many of us can talk intelligently about how MUCH energy a kilowatt really has? (And don't try and fake me out with the "A kilowatt is a million watts." answer. That kind of response gets me nowhere in my understanding of a kilowatt, and you know it.)
Thus, if you were going to speak to a group of anyone-besides-engineers-or-kids-who-just-studied-energy you should build in to your presentation a solid example of what a kilowatt really is. AND, you should make it an example that has direct relevance to your audience. In other words, if you're talking to teenagers, you'd talk about how many kilowatts it takes to play Guitar Hero for three hours. If your audience is home owners, you'd be better off talking about their TVs, or their washer and dryer.
Acronyms are NEVER a good idea, unless it's one we ALL know, like "USA". I'm not kidding. It may be an acronym you say every day of your life at work. Maybe your spouse even understands you, but that doesn't mean your audience will. And here's more bad news; they won't necessarily stop you in the middle of your presentation to tell you they don't get it. They'll let you go blissfully on and on, and they'll start planning dinner that evening, or more likely, start checking their Blackberries.
Don't ever forget, the purpose of any presentation is to communicate a message to an audience. In order for that to happen, you must bespeaking their language. Go over your next presentation with a fine tooth comb. Better yet, run it by an 8th grader if you've got one handy. Take out all the acronyms, all the profession specific lingo and short hand. You'll end up with a presentation that comes across loud and clear to your audience; a presentation that gets your message across and ensures that you'll be heard.
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Upcoming bespeaking engagements:
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DVR alert!! Thursday May 29, 10:00AM: bespeak live on Better Connecticut WFSB Channel 3!!! www.wfsb.com
Thursday June 12, 7:30 AM: "The Making of an Entrepreneur"; Our Breakfast Club; New Haven IKEA. www.ourbreakfastclub.com
June 23, 8:00 AM: "Public Speaking; How Visibility Builds Business"; Solo-Preneur Council, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
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