Presentation Tip: The Power of Lists

For some of us, lists are a way of life. There are top ten lists, Forbes' lists, to do lists, grocery lists, bucket lists...and the list [!] goes on. But what value do lists have in presentations?

They help the audience follow and interpret your message.

BENEFITS OF LISTING

Using a list format as a component in your presentation can produce a variety of benefits for both you and your audience. Lists:

• provide a template, helping to keep the presenter organized and on track

• make a specific promise to the listener of what's to come and, by omission, make it clear what won't be covered

• through the modular chunks, make it easier for the audience to digest the information you offer

• are more memorable because of the numbered structure which almost creates a visual in the listener's mind -- for example, ten key steps or three critical decisions

• help the audience maintain focus as they follow the road map you've outlined; if their attention does stray, it's easy for them to re-focus, knowing where you are on your list

• can create the perception that you're offering meaty content with lists like "The Ten Strategies to...."

Bottom line, lists are a powerful option in your presentation tool kit, keeping you organized and enhancing the memorability of your message for the audience.

Photo Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anitacanita/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Comments

[Kathy Reiffenstein]

Hi Cordelia,

Thanks for stopping by! You provide an interesting perspective and I think it may indeed be an issue of different styles appealing to different people...to some extent. I actually love lists, in pretty much any situation!

I certainly agree with you that a large list of promised points can be overwhelming to an audience. And I definitely don't think a presenter should just reel off a list, ad nauseam, without narrative.

Bottom line, it likely depends greatly on the presenter's ability to use a list format appropriately and read how his audience responds.

Kathy

[Cordelia Ditton (@DillyTalk)]

Hi Kathy

Great to read your tips, and I agree that presenters need to keep on track, but I'm not sure that I agree that lists are a good way to keep your audience with you. Fine to tell them early on 'I'm going to cover 3 main points', and chunk your material to make it easier to digest, but I think 'I'll give you my top ten tips about...' is just too much to expect an audience to pay attention to. If a presenter wants to use a list as a private aid memoir, ok, but as an audience member I find my heart sinks if someone speaks or shows me a list in a presentation. Give me narrative any time!

I'd be interested to hear other people's views on this. We're all different so perhaps others find lists more reassuring?

Cordelia