Be Memorable. Do What You Already Know.

You Probably Already Know This

The graphic below shows that:

46% of us prefer visual learning

35% of us prefer kinesthetic, or physical/tactile learning

19% of us prefer to learn from listening

Presentations seem to morph into lectures. Why?!

It's self-defeating, and a little attention to learning styles can actually take the pressure away. After all, if 81% of the audience really won't learn much from listening to you for very long, spend your prep time creating good visuals and learning activities. For a bonus, check out the additional factoid following the graphic.

Promised Bonus: One More Reason For You To Talk Less

Discussion increases learning exponentially. (I just read the actual statistical research, then managed to lose the site history. Will try to locate it later).

Think about what you remember from presidential debates. It is most likely the segment where the candidates get to actually mix it up after presenting their canned pitch. This principle holds true in business meetings as well. The more discussion you are willing to have about a topic, the more people are likely to remember and learn.

Perhaps the best compliment you can receive as a presenter is: "I can't wait to discuss what you have to show us the next time!"

Comments

[Olivia Mitchell]

Hi Steve

I'd love to know the source of your statistics. There are so many Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic questionnaires around - and some are of much better quality than others. The credibility of the statistics relies on the quality of the questionnaire.

Olivia

[Wally Bock]

Great post, Steve. You ask why so many presentations morph into lecture. I think there are two reasons. 1) it's easier on the presenter and 2) that's how we learned all through school.

The other way that we draw on our educational experience to work against the way people learn naturally is that we almost always start our presentations from general theory instead of from concrete examples. Human beings naturally learn better in the other direction.

[Marsha Keeffer]

Great point about presentations becoming lectures. When that happens, we miss a rich opportunity to communicate. PowerPoint and words aren't the greatest pairing. I suggest Nancy Duarte's great book Slide:ology - it shows how to make memorable presentations.

[Mile High Pixie]

Happy 2009, Steve, and as usual, great post!

I agree with Wally--lectures are easier on the presenter. I would also submit that presentations become lectures because we try to pack way too much into a presentation and it leaves no air/room for discussion. My sister, a college prof, has slowly been teaching me that the best presentations/lectures are those that include discussion, like asking "why do you think this character did this or that?". Even when I took a stand-up comedy class, I recall the teacher (a comic himself) mention getting the crowd involved: ask questions like "by round of applause, who had a slip-n-slide when they were a kid?".

Furthermore, the visual learning bit reminds me of Guy Kawasaki's "Presentation Zen"--when your slides and visuals are cleaner, clearer, and more memorable, you enhance the learning process.

[Steve Roesler]

Olivia,

I'm with you on the statistical thing, especially when it comes to learning. The ones use above come, not surprisingly, from the NLP folks who focus on that particular model. My own experience-- as well as other research --is that learning includes a number of factors.

What I do find helpful in the NLP arena is that it provides a reminder to folks who are getting stuck in their own "preference" and forgetting about the validity and necessity of the others.

Thanks for the tweak. . .

[Steve Roesler]

Wally,

Agreed on those first two points.

The second part about general vs. specific is, in fact, statistically true, according to Jungian psychology. It would be about a 75%/25% mix, specific vs. general. (I'm in the 25% and need context before specifics; my daughter couldn't care less about the "why")

[Steve Roesler]

Marsha, thanks for adding the resource.

[Steve Roesler]

MHP, Happy New Year to you.

I didn't realize we had the stand-up thing in common. After 30 years of conducting workshops and coaching execs on presentations, I felt like learning the elements of stand-up should be included in every executive presentations/meeting leading session. So, I started doing just that.

The result: When I quoted Gary Shandling, Chris Rock or George Carlin, it had more impact than the psychological research.

Thanks for adding that touch. . .