Successful Presentations:
Crafting a Key Message

You’re ready to
prepare for your
next presentation…

What’s the
first thing
you’re going
to do?

Fire up PowerPoint
and type until I’ve
written everything I
know with 150 slides
for 30 mins!

Umm … looking
forward to that
presentation.

Look, if you want
people to listen,
you need to have
a point.

Your key point.

Otherwise,
listening to your
presentation is like
being adrift at sea
without a compass.

So how do you come up with
an interesting key point?

1. Brainstorm
2. Combine
3. Choose
4. Refine

1. Brainstorm

bably
re pro s you
ere a point
Th
man y key
ake.
co uld m

So write out
these ideas.

Sticky No t es
Use
Are ful

2. Combine

Can any of
these ideas be
combined into
an overarching
message?

This is where sticky
notes make life easier.

That’s not quite
what I meant.

3. Choose

Of the potential key
points, which is the most
relevant and interesting to
your audience?

Yup, it’s about the audience.

A great key message
focuses on the audience
rather than your own
exquisiteness.

4. Refine

Can your key message be simplified?

Get to the core:
cut unnecessary
words and jargon.

Key message
Before
Despite the presence of unexplained
heterogeneity, we find that demographic and
socioeconomic factors are important determinants
of the demand for prescription drugs, and the
biggest driver of demand is need.

Key message
Before
Despite the presence of unexplained
heterogeneity, we find that demographic and
socioeconomic factors are important determinants
of the demand for prescription drugs, and the
biggest driver of demand is need.
After
Medical need is the biggest driver of demand for
prescription drugs.

Now, on to planning the rest of
your presentation!

Now, on to planning the rest of
your presentation! ned fo r
yt u
Sta
m o re tion
rese nta
p
t ips!

Marin Gemmill-Toyama
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maringemmilltoyama

Photo Credits
Slide 1: yoga: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1098575
Slide 3, finger: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/837742
Slide 4, child: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=1029653
Slide 6, headphones: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/872678
Slide 8, boat: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1065874
Slide 10, thinker: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/901021
Slide 10, mixed drink: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/862300
Slide 10, red rose: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/727168
Slide 12, paints: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/913629
Slide 14, sticky notes: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/842320
Slide 16, hands: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/889293
Slide 18, man: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/807952
Slide 24, stone: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/821903
Slide 25, avocado: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/553222
*unless otherwise indicated, photos are from MSN clip art