This document outlines the key points from a lesson on delivering clear and concise presentations. It recommends focusing on one key takeaway per slide, limiting text, and using graphics. A sample presentation is provided on California being voted the best state, with fictional survey data showing most picked it for its climate, economy and education. Discussion exercises ask participants to make arguments more concise in 3-4 sentences focusing on the key takeaway.

1. © 2016 SkimaTalk, Inc.
SkimaTalk Official Course
Advanced Presentation Skills
Lesson 2: Being Clear & Concise

2. Session Guidelines
2
Introduction / briefing
Deliver presentation
(Using pages 9 – 11)
Teacher feedback / discussion
Exercise and feedback
5
min
5
min
5
min
10
min

3. Why Being Clear & Concise?
3

4. To Deliver a Great Presentation,
Focus on Being Clear and Concise
4
Being concise will help you…
lRetain your audience’s attention.
lFocus on the most critical information.
lPrepare and practice more efficiently.
lSave time.

5. Example: Long Argument v. Concise Argument
5
Key takeaway: California is the best state in the U.S.A.
California is the best state in the
U.S.A. It has a climate with hot and
cold weather. Many people visit
California to enjoy the weather. The
economy is also very strong with lots
of good companies. Finally, California
has lots of great universities in both
northern California and Southern
California.
California is the best state in the
U.S.A. because it has a diverse
climate, a strong economy, and great
universities.
Long Argument Concise Argument✓

6. 3 Tips For Delivering Clear & Concise Presentations
6
1
2
3
Focus on 1 key takeaway per slide
Limit the amount of text on each slide
You can speak to supporting information during your
presentation, or save it for the appendix.
Use graphics to illustrate key takeaways
Relevant graphics are often more effective than text.

7. Preparing For Your Presentation
7
Spend 1 hour preparing for your SkimaTalk session.
1. Review the presentation & sample presentation
notes for this course (pages 9 – 14).
2. Revise the presentation notes (pages 12 – 14) to
make the presentation more concise. Your goal
should be to deliver the presentation in 3 minutes
or less. Feel free to delete any unnecessary info.
3. Practice delivering the revised presentation notes in
front of a mirror.

8. Are You Ready?
8

9. Practice Presentation: Slide 1
Title: California Voted Best State in the U.S.
9
Summary of U.S. Government Survey Results
(Sample size: 2.4 million U.S. citizens)

10. What is the best state in the U.S.?
Practice Presentation: Slide 2
10
A majority of survey respondents picked Californiaas the best
state in the U.S.
52%
23%
10%
5%
10% California
Texas
New York
Florida
Other
Fictional data

11. Practice Presentation: Slide 3
11
The top reasons for selecting California included: climate,
economy, and education system.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Climate Economy Universities Wine &
Food
Cities
Fictional data
Top reasons for selecting
California as the best state
“California has great weather
& great jobs. And the wine is
so delicious!”
“You can’t beat the University
system of California. It is the
best in the country.”
Sample Quotes
42%
25%
20%
39%
20%

12. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 1
12Fictional data
l The United States government conducted a study asking U.S. citizens the
following question: “What is the best state in the United States?”
l The government was curious how people would respond:
o What would be the most important criteria?
• Weather?
• Economy?
• Food?
• Other?
o How many people would respond?
l Over 2.4 million people responded to the survey.
l California was voted the best state.
OVERVIEW

13. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 2
13Fictional data
l A majority (52%) of respondents selected California as the best state.
l The runners-up were Texas (23%), New York (10%), and Florida (5%).
o This is interesting because California, Texas, New York, and Florida are
some of the largest states by population in the U.S.
o It would be interesting to know if these results simply represent the
populations of each state.
l The least frequently mentioned states were Delaware (0.01%), Iowa (0.02%),
Nebraska (0.02%), Oklahoma (0.1%), and North Dakota (0.1%).
o These states have very small populations so it is not surprising that they
didn’t receive many votes.
l Massachusetts received the most votes in the New England region of the
country, while Illinois received the most votes in the Mid-West region.
l Washington received the most votes in the Pacific Northwest region.
l Every state received at least 1 vote.
CALIFORNIA SELECTED AS THE BEST STATE

14. Sample Presentation Notes: Slide 3
14Fictional data
l The top reasons for selecting California as the best state were its climate
(42%) and economy (39%).
o Other commonly cited reasons include: Universities (25%), Wine &
Food (20%), and Cities (20%).
o Some other reasons that were mentioned, but only mentioned by a
few respondents, were the state’s diversity (.5%), housing (.1%), and
religious values (.1%).
l Many respondents provided open-ended comments such as:
o One person said: “California has great weather & great jobs. And the
wine is so delicious!”
o Another person said: “You can’t beat the University system of
California. It is the best in the country.”
o A different person said: “I love San Francisco and Los Angeles. They are
such great cities.”
o Another person had a negative comment: “People in California are
snobby.”
TOP REASONS FOR SELECTING CALIFORNIA AS THE BEST STATE

15. Discussion
15

16. For Discussion: Example #1
16
Read the argument below and discuss how you can make it more
concise (target: 3 – 4 sentences)
Key Takeaway: Baseball is the best sport on earth
Argument:
There are many great sports in the world. And many people think soccer is the best sport.
But I think Baseball is the best sport on earth.
Baseball is played all over the world, including North America, Asia, Central America,
the Caribbean, and many other places. Most other sports are not played in as many
countries as baseball.
Baseball involves a unique combination of team and individual skill. No other sport
involves the same combination of team and individual skill.
Baseball is a very difficult sport to play. It requires speed, strength, concentration, and
hand-eye-coordination.

17. For Discussion: Example #2 (time permitting)
17
Read the argument below and discuss how you can make it more
concise (target: 3 – 4 sentences)
Key Takeaway: Money can’t buy happiness
Argument:
Many people think money can solve all of their problems. But this isn’t true. Money can’t
buy happiness.
Lots of rich people around the world are not happy. Rich people have lots of problems,
just like everyone else!
What matters most is family, friends, and memories; money can’t buy any of these.
Money can buy you things, but things are not what ultimately make a person happy.
At the end of the day, money can make life easier, but it is not the secret to happiness.

18. 18
End of Lesson
We Hope You Enjoyed It!