No. 507, September 20, 2004

A tip on teaching and presenting

What is your lecture called?

When we anxiously prepare a lecture we often put our efforts on the wrong things. Many put too much time on the subject and too little time getting to know the target group. Other put to much energy on flashy powerpoint-slides and too little energy on examples and metaphors.

One of the easiest ways to improve a lecture is to formulate a better headline. What was the last lecture you listened to called? Do you remember? Did the headline awaken your interest at the same time as informing you what it was all about? Or was it of the traditional type:

Air safety
Sick leave
Bullying

A great definition of a headline is this: A headline is only a headline if it has a message which awakens the interest of the target group. When we apply this idea our headlines take on another quality:

Flying or walking – which is safest?
How you report sick leave
You can put an end to bullying!

The headline is a key. Those words are the most likely to reach your audience before you do, in the lecturer role. They have read it on the Internet, in a flyer, on a bulletin board or in a training catalogue.

Here are a few ideas on how to create better headlines:

• The headline needs to inform both about the subject and of the benefits to the target group – fact and feeling.
  
  
• Try out your headline on people in your target group. Ask them to tell you which headlines awaken the most interest and motivation.
  
  
• How do your bullet points sound? Do they also have clear messages with both fact and feeling? Do the headline and bullet points create a whole which gives your message to your target group?

For fifteen years I have helped people formulate headlines on training courses. It is always very satisfying to see the smile which a good headline creates.

Creative regards Jonas Himmelstrand

© 2004 Strategies to Learn & Grow Newsletter • Printable version