Tips on how to present complex information

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"We often make critical mistakes by not considering our topic from the audience's point of view," says Neville De Lucia, New Business Development Director at Dale Carnegie South Africa. "You need to consider your audience first because what may seem simple to you may be complex to your audience. Analogies, sequencing information in a logical way, visuals and presentation delivery all play a role in presenting complex information in a simple concise manner."

Here are a few tips on how to present complex information:

What to consider first

Don't drag your message out, keep it short and brief but in an understandable way. Your goal is to get the relevant information across to your audience in an interesting, engaging, and professional way.

When formulating your message there are a few things to consider. Think about the language you are using and if it is easily understood by your audience. Use visuals where possible as it heightens your audience's attention and stimulates them for longer.

When it comes to using visuals remember that less is more. Ensure all information is organised and presented in a logical and orderly sequence so that your audience can easily follow you and revise the information and take out anything that may not be of relevance to your audience. Make every effort to take your audience on a journey.

Create impact

You want your audience to leave feeling impacted by what you have said especially if you are presenting a new business proposal. Impact can only be created through structure, content and delivery of a message so ensure you formulate your presentation accordingly.
Presentation structure

Keep it simple. Structure your presentation using three fundamentals - analogy, the message or key points and conclusion. Simplifying your presentation under these three fundamentals allows you to edit information to only what the listener needs to clearly understand. An analogy bridges the gap from the known to the unknown and will help your audience to make a logical and emotional connection.

The power of analogies

An analogy is comparing one thing with another and in the instance of a presentation, an analogy can be used to further explain something. This will help to encompass what you are trying to say but again, remember your audience first. Come up with an analogy that will resonate with them and create the impact you are looking for.
Audience profile

It is vital for you to understand your audience first and foremost. To do this, break your audience up into seven elements such as goals, knowledge, expertise, experience, bias, needs and wants. Write down what you perceive about your audience under each element. This will help you to understand your audience better which will enable you to structure your presentation effectively, focusing only on what is relevant.

Overall presentation tips

A few extra short points to really ensure you that you perform at your best when presenting complex information:

1. Prepare well in advance
   
2. Always maintain eye contact with listeners
   
3. Remember: a picture is worth 1,000 words
   
4. People remember "3s." Limit points to three or less
   
5. Direct listeners where to look when presenting visuals
   
6. Keep it interactive. Ask questions. Allow responses
   
7. Don't overwhelm listeners with long data lists
   
8. Transform dry topics with humour and storytelling.
   

"Planning is also a critical part of presenting, there is nothing worse than listening to someone who is not prepared and doesn't fully understand what they are talking about," explains De Lucia.