George Orwell’s seminal works 1984 and Animal Farm could easily be mistaken for modern day pieces of fiction. The two novels have sold more copies than any two books by any other 20-century author. The novels were written in 1949 and 1945 respectively, and they are still widely read today mostly because of their Orwellian content, but also because of Orwell’s no-frills writing style. The books are easy to read and hard to put down. Here are a few presentation lessons we can glean from Orwell’s fiction, derived from an essay he wrote in 1946 ‘Politics and the English Language’.
“Never use a long word where a short one will do.”
Take this piece of advice to heart when you’re preparing a presentation. Don’t use a ten-dollar word when a five-dollar word will work just fine. One of the most important parts of presenting– if not the most important part– is the ability to connect with your audience. Speak on their level. Be colloquial. Don’t sound like you’re reciting from the Declaration of Independence or some cumbersome document. Speak at a fifth grade level rather than at a college level. If it worked for Steve Jobs, it’ll work for you.
“If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.”
It’s as if Mr. Orwell is reading our minds here at Ethos3. Simplify, simplify and then simplify some more. If anything is superfluous or extraneous, cut it out. If it isn’t absolutely essential, take it out. Orwell championed uncomplicated, economical prose, and his novels are extremely accessible because of that. Find that level of accessibility throughout your presentation by making things as clear and unfussy as possible. If that sentence or paragraph of text is not adding something essential to your presentation, take it out.
“Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you think of an everyday English equivalent.”
This is a particularly important consideration for any presenter, especially when it comes to unfamiliar, recondite topics. We’ve discussed the dreaded Curse of Knowledge and ways to counteract it. Cutting out jargon and scientific lingo is the first step in that process. The quickest way to lose your audience is by giving a complicated, bulky explanation with lots of obscure words. Rather, work to explain your points in layman’s terms using as few words as possible.
After you’ve laid out all your content, go through it with a Sharpie and cross out all the complicated jargon. Then go back and replace them with simple words that everyone knows. Make your content as unfettered and uncomplicated as possible. A high level of accessibility is essential to delivering a great presentation. Following these pieces of advice from Orwell will help you achieve just that.
