Business Q & A
How to Make Statistics Interesting
Helpful Techniques for Effective Presentations
How to Make Statistics Interesting
Helpful Techniques for Effective Presentations
Interview by Robbie Miller Kaplan
author of How to Say It in Your Job Search
Auditors make presentations and auditing is rife
with statistics, so how do you combine the two without lulling your
audience to sleep? Joan Detz, master presenter on “How to Give a
Speech” www.joandetz.com and
author of four successful books on public speaking, including How to Write and Give a Speech, Second Revised Edition: A Practical Guide For Executives, PR People, the Military, Fund-Raisers, Politicians, Educators, and Anyone Who Has to Make Every Word Count
Q;
How can you maximize the impact of presentations using statistics?
A: Use fewer
statistics, but use them much better. Remember: Quantity is no
substitute for quality.
Q;
Statistics can be a snooze in presentations. How do you avoid putting
your audience to sleep?
A: Well, it’s
true: Some people think statistics are boring. But those people have not
heard the right statistics! Statistics can be downright interesting if
you make them relevant to your audience. Express large statistics as
real-time numbers. Give statistics a sense of immediacy. Here are a few
examples:
* “We’ll break for lunch in just a few minutes. And in the one hour
we’re sitting down having lunch, ___________________ [cite a statistic
with a one-hour time frame].”
* “Yesterday, our Audit Committee Meeting lasted 30 minutes. While we
were sitting and talking for 30 minutes, ‘x’ number of widgets were
sold.”
* “Last year’s Audit Conference ran for two full days. With ‘x’ number
of attendees, that represented ‘x’ minutes of work time. Here’s the
question we have to answer: Did we get our money’s worth?”
* “Let’s put these numbers in perspective. Every quarter, our Engagement
Team holds a special session. In the three months since we last met,
_____________________ [bring the audience up to date by giving them an
important statistic].”.
Q;
What kind of visuals gets your point across most effectively?
A: The kind of
visuals that audiences can see easily and quickly. By that I mean: Use a
type size that’s large enough to see from the back of the room, and use
a consistent style on every slide. I once saw a PowerPoint presentation
where the word “etcetera” appeared perhaps a dozen different ways on
different slides: ETC, etc, etc, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera,
ETC., etc., etc. My advice: Be consistent. Pick the style that suits
your organization and use it consistently in all presentation materials.
Q;
Auditors use so many statistics in their presentations - how can you
selectively choose statistics for the best impact?
A:
Keep this in mind when you talk with any audience: The more statistics
you cite, the fewer they will remember. Instead, ask yourself, “What’s
the most important point I want them to get?” Then, explain that point
well. Interpret the data. Analyze the relationships between the numbers.
Correct any misconceptions. Clarify.
Q;
What software works best in presentations with groups of up to
fifteen?
A:
The kind that works! There’s nothing worse than going to a client’s
office and watching your presentation equipment malfunction. It happens
more often than most people realize. So, test and re-test your equipment
every single time. Even then, always carry hard copy of your
presentations. You’ll be glad for the back-up.
Q;
Do you have any final advice on making statistics
interesting?
A:
I’d like to close with an observation by David Ogilvy, the great
advertising genius. Ogilvy said, “Nobody ever sold anybody anything by
boring them to death.” Auditors need to keep this in mind. Yes, you work
with numbers. And yes, your presentations need to include statistics.
But you’ll never get the client to “buy” your expertise if you bore them
to death. So choose the most relevant statistics … put those numbers in
clear terms … and present everything in an organized fashion. It takes a
lot of work to prepare an effective presentation. Make sure your
statistics work to your advantage.