I remember sitting in geometry class as a green high school student. For starters, I was a good student, but I certainly wasn’t what you might call a math whiz. My strengths were revealed in English. But in geometry class, I could solve a proof in the blink of an eye. I was a master of the if-then form. And I didn’t bat an eye at a contrapositive statement. Most of the time, I am an extremely logical individual. Lucky for me since the whole point of proofs was to develop a valid line of reasoning for the answer to a problem. Many presenters create a deck with the intent of delivering a sound, compelling, and persuasive presentation message. You can’t do this without first thinking through the nuts and bolts of your arguments for each point you presume to detail. Why? Because you must come prepared with a logical argument, or “a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood.”
If you intend to make any sort of logical case or argument through your presentation, it should include 3 crucial elements. According to a University of Massachusetts Amherst resource, an argument must include a combination of 2 specific types of statements. Your statements don’t have to be true or false. The value of the statements lies in their ability to help you convey a strong, clear claim or opinion. A premise is the first component of a fine-tuned presentation point. Most refer to this piece as the evidence or supporting points. In addition, a truly effective argument will follow-up the premise with a conclusion statement.
Have you been using any of the 3 arguments below in your presentation narrative?
If so, find out how to change your strategy and stop holding back the presentation message you are trying to communicate:
The Generalization
If you’ve ever approached the lectern without a shred of evidence to reinforce your main messages, or even if you’ve only accrued biased backup information, you have committed one of the 3 deadly presentation argument sins. You’ve built an argument solely on a generalization. For example, let’s say you are presenting to potential consumers about your leadership consulting program and you say “Our program is the most comprehensive on the market. We achieve more desired results for our CEO clients than any other company.” If you aren’t current on the industry and market trends and haven’t been tracking the achievements of your competitors, this statement could land you in dangerous territory with your audience. The less research you do and background material you discover, the less authority you present on your subject matter and the less trusting an audience will be.
Presentation Tips:
- Look at your topic and corresponding presentation messages from as many perspectives as you can imagine. Proceed by conducting an adequate amount of research on each possible outlook.
- Like in geometry class, apply the reasoning needed to solve a direct proof when you are crafting your presentation narrative. List out 2-3 explicit statements (maybe through client or customer examples) to illustrate a broader experience to support your argument.
- Include a subtle, but clear disclaimer in your speech where you recognize that there are several different ways to look at the issue or concept at hand. You could even briefly outline your research methods to demonstrate credibility.
The Circular Case
A presenter that hasn’t prepared fully for an upcoming performance will almost definitely fall into this Pandora’s box of an argument structure. Instead of confidently dispensing the substantial drops of wisdom and cold, hard proof the presenter researched so thoroughly, he or she ends up relaying on the conclusion statement of their argument – neglecting the premise altogether. For example, the presenter representing the leadership consulting company might create a circular case by saying the following phrase in a variety of ways: The most successful companies and businesses across the globe take advantage of leadership consulting programs. Then the presenter might follow-up a few minutes later with: If you want your company to achieve results, you must enroll in a leadership consulting program. This argument type leaves out the most vital part of persuasion; it doesn’t inform you why you should believe the statement. When you construct your presentation message like a circular case, you leave the audience feeling lost, confused, and misguided.
Presentation Tips:
- Determine the language and important aspects of your evidence for each main point you describe in your presentation message.
- Utilize speaker’s notes to outline these short and simple words and phrases to help you retain the information.
- Rehearse your presentation from beginning to end at least 7X – but ideally many more – before stepping onstage.
The This or That
Think back on all of your most recent speaking engagements. Did you ever provide an ultimatum for your audience? Did you ever proclaim, for instance, that if they purchased your product, they would experience pure bliss and if they didn’t, they would never know true happiness? While a dramatic rendition, this argument formulation can not only place intense pressure on audience members, but it can also drastically oversimplify the meaning of your message.
Presentation Tips:
- Dabble a little bit in the gray areas of your presentation topic – depending on the outcome of your assessment of audience knowledge and understanding of your content. Don’t be afraid to manufacture teaching moments within your slides.
- Share more complex information in comprehensible visual formats. Explain the particulars through the presentation script.
- Try implementing a new argumentative strategy – taking notes from geometry. Produce your own indirect proof with your content by using a presentation narrative focused on contradicting the claims of competitors or the other product or service alternatives on the market. This tactic is best employed in presentations that strike an analytical tone and is developed through some inductive reasoning.
Conclusion
Solidifying the arguments that support your presentation points is the first step to producing a persuasive and engaging deck. To find out more about structure, support, and delivery of messages, check out the resources below:
What’s Your Presentation Writing Style? [Quiz]
All Math Words Encyclopedia: Logical Argument
Master the Art of Transitions in Your Presentations
