How Many Messages to Cover in a Speech | Public Speaking

So how many messages should you include in your speech or your presentation?

Well, before we talk about that, let's.

Step back a minute. Let me ask you a question.

Think of the best presenter you've seen.

In the last year.

Someone in your field. Not just somebody you saw on tv.

Not a professional comedian or a politician.

But somebody in your field where you saw them in person at a conference, preferably not somebody who works in your company. Think of this person, think of this presentation. And now think of every specific message.

Point you remember from that speech.

I don't mean that they were funny.

Or you liked the way they walked.

Around or their style. I mean actual content, actual message points.

If you had to get up in.

Front of a whiteboard and diagram their.

Speech, tell me every message you could.

Remember from that speech.

Now, I've asked that question for years.

And years of my clients all over the world.

And for years, when I ask people that, sometimes they say, I don't know.

I don't remember anything.

Or they remember one message or two. Again, this is from the best speaker.

They'Ve seen in the last year.

Occasionally three.

Every once in a while, people will remember four messages.

Messages. And once every six months, somebody will.

Remember five messages, five key points, five themes.

In all the years I've been asking this question, I've never had anyone come.

Up with more than five ideas that they remember. So that's why I just start off from the assumption of don't try to communicate more than five key ideas, five themes, five messages. Email your speech because you're not going to be successful. Do you really think everyone you speak to has a memory better than yours?

If you can't remember more than five.

From the best speaker you've seen, why do you think anyone will remember more messages from you? People always say, yeah, yeah, tj, I understand, I get it makes perfect sense. But my audience is different. They expect me to do blah, blah, blah.

No, they're not.

Your audience is not different. Your audience is not smarter than you. Your audience is not going to remember.

More than five ideas.

So people think in the real world. Their choice is am I thorough and hard working and really show everyone how smart I am by covering 80 points or am I kind of lazy and laid back and just cover a handful? That's what people think their choice is. Obviously if that is the choice, you.

Go with a hard working 80.

I live in the real world. In the real world, the choice is are you communicating?

Five points.

Remember, it's not communication unless people not only understand it, but remember it. The real world choice is do you communicate a handful of ideas, five, or do you communicate absolutely nothing?

Because that's what happens to most speakers.

So when you're coming up with the.

Number of points, number of messages for your presentation, focus on five or fewer.