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The Basics of Explaining         Return to Views Directory Page
It is often easier to do something yourself than to explain how to do it.  I was reminded of this a few weekends ago, when I drafted my son into helping me build a small waterfall in our backyard garden.   Bret is thirteen, and years of playing in creeks has given him a talent for arranging rocks to direct a flow of water.  But other tasks involved in the project were new to him.  Some were common sense ("I think I can figure out where the tube connects to the pump, Dad.   Duh!").  Others ("Why do we have to keep the concrete wet so it dries right?" and "We’re going to use an electric pump under water?") were not.

The work started out fun.  A little digging, a wheelbarrow trip to the creek to collect rocks, some experimenting with stones and water — all familiar territory.  Then we stepped into uncharted lands: laying electrical conduit, cutting wire screen forms, mixing concrete.  As it often does when he’s unsure, Bret’s enthusiasm began to wane.  I see this in audiences all the time: when the chain of understanding breaks, interest drifts away.  And visa versa.  Which means that part of explaining effectively is motivating your audience to listen to your explanation, and that means linking what you are trying to tell them to what they already know.

Whether you are giving a technical presentation to a hall full of aeronautical engineers, teaching third graders how to care for hamsters, designing a museum or trade show exhibit, or luring your kid into learning new skills, the Basics of Explaining are the same:

• Answer the Audience’s Basic Question: What’s In It for Me? Address this issue right off the bat with a simple, practical explanation of why they should know what you do.
  
• Start Where Your Audience Starts...  Research your audience.  Know their level of knowledge and experience and establish a comfortable starting point.  If the topic (pavement compaction, for example) is generally familiar to the group (asphalt engineers), start with facts that establish a launch point for the new information (revised optimum compaction temperatures) you’re offering.  If it is a general audience with little knowledge of the topic you’re addressing, you can put them on familiar ground by creating an analogy based on everyday experience.
  
• ...and Stay With Them.  As you move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, carefully build bridges. Watch the audience’s reactions, and set your pace accordingly. It may be hard work to keep them following your chain of thought, but not as hard as regaining their attention if the chain breaks.
  
• Build Your Presentation Around Topic Sentences.   A topic sentence is nothing more than the core idea of the paragraph that follows.   The bulleted points in this article are an example.  They give the audience a context for understanding the details and explanations that follow.
  
• Be Conversational, and Take Breaks.  Speak to your audience as though talking one-on-one.  Being at ease puts them at ease and makes them more receptive.  After presenting particularly difficult or thought-provoking ideas, take a break from the topic to give the audience time to process what you’ve said.  If time allows, take a short intermission.  If not, tell an amusing story or a suitable joke to ease their concentration.
  
• Illustrate & Entertain.  There are lots of great examples of good explaining.  Most use visuals.  Psychologists say that human beings in Western cultures gain 85-90 percent of what they learn through their eyes, so it is no wonder that television and educational videos can be so effective.  Look at Sesame Street, Nova and many programs on The Discovery Channel.   But there have been many famous and effective lecturers, as well.  Physicist Richard Feynman comes to mind.  Most rely not only on visual aids but on mental visuals -- analogies and metaphors -- to help us understand and remember.  And they all use humor.
  
• Engage Your Audience’s Understanding.   Don’t just drop knowledge in their laps, nudge them to reach for it.   Involve your audience mentally.  Ask questions that incite their curiosity and test their grasp of what you are saying.  Then wait patiently and listen carefully to their answers.

If you focus on your audience and match your presentation to their style of learning, all kinds of good things happen.  You might even get the water flowing where you want it to.  Bret and I did.

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