Great presentations have a backbone. One idea or message serves as the foundation for everything that gets said.
By tying every fact, illustration, story, data point, anecdote, and example to this hub, the presentation is easier to follow, becomes more memorable, and is likely to be more persuasive.
Presentation experts call this central message a THROUGHLINE.
A strong throughline aids understanding and helps to capture an audience’s interest and engagement. In essence, a solid throughline ties the content and the audience together. Every great presentation has one. Quite predictably, how a presenter decides on the throughline is of critical importance.
In too many cases, presenters piece together the nuts and bolts of a presentation and then establish a throughline to tie everything together. In other words, they decide on the core message after the various elements, such as stories and data, are decided upon. While this approach is not always ineffective, it somewhat misses the point and undervalues the power of a strong throughline.
The better approach is to decide on the core message and then seek out and add facts, anecdotes, and other supporting materials to bring this message alive. This requires the presenter to think like an audience member and to see things from their point of view.
Truth be told, presenters who cannot easily land on a powerful throughline are probably not ready to make a presentation or speech.
What do you want everyone to remember? What is the primary takeaway of the presentation? What one idea do you want the audience to act upon? What is the most important message for everyone to hear? These and related questions assist speakers in crafting a commanding throughline.
When a core message or theme connects all parts of a presentation or speech, the audience is treated to a coherent picture of exactly what the presenter thinks is so important. They instantly know whether the presentation is worth their time and effort.
While a strong throughline doesn’t guarantee the audience will enjoy or find value in the presentation, it does ensure they will remember what the presenter wants them to.
With this advantage to assist them, presenters must still find a core message others want to hear and will perceive as valuable. A cherished throughline is actionable, novel, value-driven, emotionally appealing, and relatable. Its uniqueness is what makes good presentations extraordinary.
That’s what makes crafting a great presentation so difficult. What do you really want to say that everyone will want to hear? It all starts with a powerful throughline. And if you can’t articulate it in a sentence or two, you likely don’t have one.
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