It’s the holiday season, and you have more than a few things to do. So, how do you get them all done?

The key to a happy holiday season is to prioritize the items you need to accomplish and then get them done one at a time. If you do this, you won’t get all the items on your “To Do” list done, but you will get the most important ones done.

There is an analogy between this and your presentations. Sometimes when you want to get so much done in a presentation, your message is lost on your audience.

Below are three strategies you can use to focus on your message.

Use a Clear Structure

Organize your presentation with a distinct introduction, body, and conclusion. Ensure each section flows logically and directly supports your core message. Below are three methods you can use to provide a clear structure

• Follow the “Rule of Three.” Break your content into three main points or sections. The human brain processes information more effectively in threes, making it easier for your audience to follow and remember. Divide your presentation into “Problem, Solution, and Outcome.”

• Use a Clear Narrative Arc. Structure your presentation like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This narrative arc helps keep your content logical and engaging. Start with a hook (introduction), elaborate on the core message (body), and close with a strong call to action or summary (conclusion).

• Adopt the “One Idea Per Slide” Rule. Simplify your visuals by presenting only one key idea per slide. This approach keeps your audience focused on the core message without being overwhelmed. Use visuals or keywords rather than complete sentences.

Using these strategies will make your presentation structure more straightforward, engaging, and less complicated for your audience to follow.

Another strategy to focus on your message is to repeat and reinforce key points.

Repeat and Reinforce Key Points

Emphasize your main message by repeating it at strategic points in your presentation (e.g., the opening, middle, and closing). This helps ensure your audience remembers it.

Below are three practical techniques to repeat and reinforce key points in your presentation:

State Your Key Points Using the “Tell Them” Framework. Use this classic structure:

Repeating your main message in different sections helps reinforce it. Below are examples:

• Introduction: “Today, I’ll show you three ways to improve productivity.”

• Body: Present the three methods.

• Conclusion: “To recap, these three strategies will boost productivity significantly.”

You can also use strategic visual repetition. Reinforce key points visually by including consistent icons, images, or keywords throughout your slides.

This visual consistency helps anchor ideas in your audience’s memory. An example is when discussing “Efficiency,” always use a gear icon on relevant slides.

You could also incorporate callbacks and summaries. Periodically refer to your key points during transitions or at the end of each section to remind the audience of your message.

An example is after explaining a section: “This ties back to our main idea of improving teamwork.”

These techniques ensure your message is clearly emphasized and remembered.

So, using a clear structure and repeating and reinforcing key points are great ways to focus on your message.

A third way is to eliminate distractions and simplify visuals.

Eliminate Distractions and Simplify Visuals

Simplify your slides using minimal text and impactful visuals to reinforce your message. Avoid information overload to maintain focus.

Below are three effective strategies to eliminate distractions and simplify visuals in your presentation:

Use Minimal Text on Slides. Keep text concise by limiting it to key phrases or bullet points (ideally no more than 5-6 words per line and 3-5 lines per slide). Replace long paragraphs with keywords or visual aids like icons.

An example is instead of: “Our company’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable solutions for small businesses,” use: “Mission: High-quality, affordable solutions.”

Use Consistent and Clean Design. Stick to a simple, clean design template with a consistent font, color scheme, and layout. Avoid flashy animations, excessive colors, or decorative fonts that can distract your audience.

Use sans-serif fonts (like Arial or Helvetica) and stick to 2-3 colors throughout your presentation.

Emphasize One Visual Element Per Slide. Focus on one key idea or visual per slide to prevent cognitive overload. Rather than cluttering slides with multiple elements, use charts, graphs, or images to support your point.

For example, if showing a data point, use one clear graph rather than multiple charts on the same slide.

Applying these strategies ensures your visuals are clear, focused, and free of distractions, helping your audience better understand and retain your message.

So, to focus on your message, do the following: (1) use a clear structure, (2) repeat and reinforce your key points, and (3) eliminate distractions and simplify your visuals.

These techniques help you maintain audience engagement and ensure your core message is delivered effectively.

Focusing on your message will pay big dividends for your presentations.

It is the difference between your presentations being successful or missing the mark!

Call to Action

• Use a clear structure in your presentations so there is no ambiguity in the minds of your audience members as to where you are going in your presentation

• Repeat and reinforce your key points to make them “sticky” to your audience

• Eliminate distractions and simplify your visuals in your presentations by minimizing text in your visuals

References

• Duarte, N. (2008). Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. O’Reilly Media.

• Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. Wiley.

• Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. St. Martin’s Press.

• Reynolds, G. (2012). Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. New Riders.

• Kosslyn, S. M. (2007). Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations.

Being a confident, engaging, and effective technical speaker is a vital personal and professional asset. With more than 40 years of engineering experience and more than 30 years of award-winning public speaking experience, Frank DiBartolomeo can help you reduce your presentation preparatory time by 50%, overcome your fear of public speaking and be completely at ease, deliver your presentations effectively, develop your personal presence with your audience; and apply an innovative way to handle audience questions deftly.

Working closely with you, Frank provides a customized protocol employing the critical skills and tools you need to create, practice, and deliver excellent technical speeches and presentations. Connect with Frank and explore how he can help you become the exceptional speaker you were meant to be. Please reach out to him at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com or 703-509-4424 for a complimentary consultation. Schedule a meeting with him at calendly.com/frankdibartolomeospeaks. Listen to his Successful Speaking for Technical Professionals podcast