FRONT - A Strategy, Design and Technology Studio

In short, if you have a complicated message to get across, and want a kick-ass presentation to help you - these are the guys to talk to. This might not sound very Web 2.0, but communicating effectively in person is the cornerstone of a lot of companies’ success - think of Steve Jobs’ keynotes (which Duarte helps to create) and you’ll get the idea.

Nancy highlighted the huge power that speakers have when the physically stand in front of an audience. She is dead right - every presentation or talk is a chance to communicate energy, passion, inspiration - as well as information.

She highlighted the difference between documentation (dense, complete and supposed to be given to the audience in advance), teleprompt notes (more brief, but almost a complete framework of your talk/presentation, relevant to the speaker), and a presentation (one key message per slide designed to reinforce the power of the speaker’s presence). Most, or many people confuse these three things when giving a talk - and the experience for the audience suffers as a result.

Some key recommendations from Nancy:

1. Focus on the audience - know what drives them, what keeps them up at night and tailor your message to meet their needs
2. Remember that information is not a compelling story. People respond, and understand, stories in a far deeper way than they understand data. Tell stories.
3. Give of yourself - recognise that people are here to listen to *you*, so be human, open and giving. Tell your own story
4. When using graphs, charts and visual expressions of data - be honest, keep it very simple and highlight the key message you need to communicate.
5. Don’t assume that the audience will know what your diagram means, or why it’s relevant to them.

This was an incredibly useful talk; it really made me think about how I’ll approach my next talk. A great way to start the week.