Best practices for getting a complex message across via PowerPoint

Explaining a complex idea orally is not easy. And sometimes supporting that message through a PowerPoint presentation is even more complex. Too busy graphics, abstract concepts, messages that are too long and technical... you risk losing the attention of your audience.

However, with the right tools and a certain method, it is entirely possible to make a complex message clear, visual and memorable at the same time.

In this article, we give you our best tips!

To start... What is it, a message ?

As part of a PowerPoint presentation, a message is the main idea you want to get across to your Audience. It can be a information, an argument, a recommendation or a finding, clearly formulated and goal-oriented.

This is the message your audience should remember at the end of a slide, a sequence, or the end of your presentation.

And a complex message ?

A message is said to be complex when it asks the audience to make an effort to understanding additional. It's not just a large amount of information: it's also content that requires technical concepts Or prerequisite that not everyone can master.

It can be an abstract concept, or even a business process with numerous interactions. The message becomes complex not only because of what it contains, but also because how it is structured and interpreted.

What seems obvious to you - as the bearer of the subject - is not necessarily the case for your audience, especially if they don't have your expertise.

These complex messages all have something in common. : they need context, ofexplanations, and especially of a visual support that helps to better understand and remember them.

Recognize that you are facing a complex message, it is also embrace That he cannot be summed in a single slide, or presentation without real in-depth reflection. This awareness is already a first step.

Concrete examples of complex messages

As you can see, some presentations ask more than hardships than others, not because of their content, but because they touch on topics technical, sensitive or very dense.

In these cases, you will have to Take care of the shape to make the content understandable and accessible.

We present to you four examples of complex messages in order to see more clearly !

1. Present a business strategy over several years to teams in the field : it is necessary to summarize global issues, which are often abstracts, while maintaining an understandable and mobilizing discourse.
2. Announce a reorganization : the subject is often anxiogenic, emotionally charged, and requires a certain vigilance and a lot of clearness to avoid misinterpreting the hearing.
3. Explain a economic model To investors thanks to a SaaS business model with numerical forecasts : here, you have to be precise, synthetic and convincing at the same time.
4. Popularizing scientific results in front of a non-technical audience : the risk is to oversimplify... or to lose the audience from the first slide.

Presenting a complex message: common mistakes

Faced with dense content, your first instinct is to Wanting to say everything. You may think that adding more information will make your presentation clearer, but the opposite is often the case.

If you add too much text, too many numbers, too many visuals... the Message is lost. An overloaded slide interferes with comprehension: the eye no longer knows where to look, and the audience drops out.

Other trap Current: the overly technical diagrams Or the poorly organized tables, which add to the confusion instead of clarifying. Even relevant content can become unreadable if it is not well structured.

Finally, a lot of presentations lack of common thread. A complex message needs a real narrative thread. Sans logical link between the slides, without transitions, the public is struggling to follow. And when the vocabulary is too technical or inadequate, the gap widens further.

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Our tips for getting a complex message across via PowerPoint

Break the message down into simple blocks

A complex message cannot be absorbed in a single block. For it to be understood by your audience, Divide it into steps, and move forward gradually. The idea is simple: One piece of information = one slide. This will allow you to guide your audience step by step, without losing them in too much content.

This division may follow a certain logic. : start with Pose the problem, then present the solution, then finish with the Benefit. This type of structure will make your speech easier to understand, even for a dense or technical subject.

Structuring the presentation through storytelling

Even the most technical topics benefit from being told. A well-constructed presentation follows a logical progression, like a story : it has a beginning, a development, a conclusion.

Structuring your content like a story will help you maintaining attention and to give senses every step of the way. You better understand an idea when you know why it's happening at that moment, and where it takes you. It is this consistency Who turns a series of slides into a engaging presentation.

Maintain hierarchy and readability

Each slide must carry a unique message, well put forward, with a clear title, a simple structure, and hierarchical elements.

The text sizes, the colours, the spacings, the style... everything should help the eye understand where to look. A good layout cannot be seen, but it is Feels : it makes reading facile and transmits the essentials in an instant.

Rely on relevant visuals

When words are no longer enough, the visual takes over. A good diagram or a graphical well built allows make a complex idea more accessible. It still needs to be clear, legible and well integrated into the discourse.

The objective is not to decorate, but to structuring information. PowerPoint offers tools like SmartArt, charts, friezes, or diagrams. Used wisely, they will help you Translating concepts into understandable images. A good visual is worth a thousand words!

Leave room for speech

A PowerPoint presentation is only a support: It is the speaker who carries the message. When the content is complex, the way it is presented matters as much as its structure.

Don't show EVERYTHING on the screen. Some information should remain in the speeches to keep the momentum alive. You can also use the presenter mode, prepare your transitions and rely on notes in order to keep track and guide your audience without overloading the slides.

And because we like you... here are 6 more tips for getting a complex message across !

Our other tips

1. Once the structure is properly installed, some tools can help Make reading easier and to make the message even more reachable. Use animations to reveal information at the right time, without revealing everything at once.
2. Also think about dynamic transitions, like the zooming Or the navigation by section, which make it possible to manage several levels of information without burdening the presentation.
3. Les visual codes are also very useful. If you use colours Or pictograms to distinguish between steps, roles, or priorities, your audience will understand more quickly and won't need everything reread on each slide.
4. Another point that you should not overlook: titles. Too often, we just put “Background”, “Analysis” or “Conclusion”. But a good title alone can summarize the message of the slide. For example, “Our growth slowed in the second quarter” is much more telling.
5. When a part is dense, a Synthesis slide can also help you. A few well-highlighted key points allow you to take a break and put your ideas back in order before moving on.
6. Finally, in some cases, you can call on a PowerPoint expert can help you turn dense content into clear and adapted support !

You need more than good intentions to get a complex message across in a PowerPoint presentation. You'll need to structure the content, choose the right visuals, balance the information, and think about your audience: what does they need to hear, understand, and how? It's all about balance.

When it comes to important issues; Pitch strategy, management committee, conference, training or internal transformation; you can make all the difference by being supported by a PowerPoint expert.

Do you want to give more strength to your presentations? Contact us, and let's build together a support that makes a difference!