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Presenting Technical Information to Non-Technical Listeners by David W. Richardson, CSP Ten minutes into the presentation and you're already shifting uncomfortably in your seat . . . it's a little warm, a little stuffy, but the speaker is making it worse than it seems. He's an intelligent, articulate, professional in his field, but the technical terminology he is using to describe his very logical premise is going way over your head. A quick glance around the room shows others with their eyes glazed over or their laptops open in front of them as they review their downloaded e-mail or conduct other "more important" activities. That technical information is of no value if the listeners can't process it within their own frame of reference. Several years
ago I bought a telescope and really enjoy the peaceful evenings in
my back yard looking at the planets, star clusters, nebulae, and
other objects in the galaxy. Joining
the local astronomy club, I anxiously looked forward to learning
more about this great hobby. I was disappointed when I found out that the speakers at the monthly meeting were very proficient in the area of astronomy but delivered their message in an extremely technical manner. For myself as well as the other beginning astronomers in the room many of these meetings were of little value. They were drowning us with "techno babble". I even fell asleep during a slide show of charts and graphs that made no sense to me. I continued to
attend the meetings because of the networking opportunities with
other members and, as one who craves Oreo cookies, the post-meeting
snack was always worth waiting for. Then one evening, it happened!
A speaker with a highly technical topic was speaking in
language we could all understand.
He even used humor throughout his message. Here was a
person who understood his listeners and their needs.
He presented his technical information but delivered it in a
non-technical manner that every person in the room could understand.
But what about those in the room who possessed the real
technical knowledge themselves . . . how did they feel about this
presentation? Did they
feel it was too elementary? Did
they feel that the speaker was talking down to them?
Absolutely not! They hung on every word just like the rest of us, laughing,
taking notes, and getting caught up in his excellent presentation. In your own
professional field you are continually surrounded by those who speak
the same language. Attorneys use their "legalese" language; engineers,
accountants, quality control personnel, computer professionals, and
many others commonly use words and phrases that are very specific to
their industry. Ever
had a doctor try to explain your medical condition to you?
You want to shout, "Hey doc!
How about telling me in plain English?" As you read
this, pause for a moment and reflect on the terminology that is
specific to your industry. How
would you use those words and phrases with individuals who do not
share a similar understanding of your profession? Therein lies
one of the biggest challenges in business today.
An engineer speaks to a group of venture capitalists, an
attorney, on behalf of a client, speaks to the Planning & Zoning
Commission, a realtor speaks to a prospective home buyer.
Today many people choose not to make a decision favorable to
the presenter because they do not feel comfortable and often don't
fully understand the message. Here are some
excellent strategies you can use when presenting technical
information to non-technical listeners:
Notice
how the three points are very user friendly and generic in nature.
Your listeners are, first of all, placed at ease with the
knowledge that they will only be required to absorb three points. Secondly, these points contain no technical terminology that
might turn the listener off before you even have a chance to begin.
People
are quickly bored by the technical facts you so ably lay before
them. You know very
well what it means while they have no clue.
Therefore, it's important to validate your technical concepts
by comparing them to something your listeners are already familiar
with. For
example, you might say, "This turbine is activated through an
ignition process with a magnetic reactor . . ."
("Huh?")
You've just lost half your audience unless you help them
understand what that statement means.
To validate that statement, then, you might say, "That
would be similar to our scouting days when you'll remember we used
flint and steel to produce a spark that would ignite the dry leaves
we had so carefully placed in a wind protected area." They
may not understand the exact technical process, but they can now
make a mental connection to the ideas you're presenting.
Acting
on my suggestion to find stories and analogies to illustrate his
points, his presentations now are one illustrative story after
another. He is sought
after as a speaker for not only his own organization but also by
clients, suppliers, and other manufacturers.
Listeners who do not share his knowledge of the specific
process have no real interest in the details of how the process
works, but tell them what was discovered, what the overall results
were, and what overall cost savings have been derived accordingly
and they're hanging on every word. Next
I suggested that he attempt to insert some humor into his
presentations because when people laugh they learn.
I recommended that he carefully listen to the portions of his
presentation that were already creating laughter and examine ways to
embellish and draw out the situation.
Further, I suggested that he remember the one-liners that
were thrown out by people in the audience and find ways to
incorporate them into the presentation. Examine
the ways you can tell a story and give your listeners something
powerful to walk away with.
One
of my clients, a legal counsel for a high profile company, was
concerned because his presentations were having little effect on
management, and as a result the company was mired in lawsuits.
Today, however, he gets the attention of his audiences by
opening with one or two horror stories that demonstrate just how
lack of knowledge exposes the company to serious, potentially costly
legal actions. His
listeners pay very close attention lest this should happen to them.
His objective is very simple . . . see me before making any
decisions that could potentially have a negative impact on our
company. He closes his
presentation by saying, "You know, I'm like the dentist. You can see me now . . . or you can see me later.
But you will see me, and better sooner than
later." If your
presentation is worth giving, then deliver it in a manner that will
compel your listeners to take the action you desire.
Be a bore no more! If you would like a free copy of Dave's "Presentation Planning Guide" please fax a copy of your business card with the word "Guide" and your fax number to 480-451-9372 or send an e-mail with the subject line "guide" and including your name, telephone number and company information to speaking@richspeaking.com. To
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