The action step, the take away, the reason why, is your most important message in your presentation.
Of course, for your audience to take action, it is critically important that you’ve given them all the logical reasons that you suggest this action step, that you’ve answered all their questions and cleared away impediments. But what if, despite all that, you’ve cluttered your action step with too many options, too much detail.
Take a look at this artfully layered photo. Is its central message clear to you? Where should you look? Where should you focus? What should you remember? Could it be the pier cutting sharply across? Is it the seagull so handsomely perched on it? It the gracefully waving grasses in the foreground? Is it sea water that swirls and ripples around everything? Or perhaps its those crazy Christmas lights that decorate the pier’s edge? So much to consider. Too much? Make it easy for your audience to know what exactly you are suggesting that they do to implement your advice.
P.S. I want to make clear that I love this photo. It was taken by my business partner, Lucia in her photo-a-day project. Interesting how many uses and interpretations can come from the same image, isn’t it?
