FROM SPEAK HUMAN

Notes on presenting like a human being

So what?

I used to start every talk by asking myself, “What do I want to say?”

Now I ask, “So what?”
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Not in a cynical way. In a generous one.
The best presentations? They’re not about us.
They’re about the people listening.

ONE IDEA WELL

When you're crafting a talk, it's easy to fall into the trap of saying everything you know - especially when you’ve worked hard to become an expert.
But clarity doesn’t come from sharing everything. It comes from asking the one question that cuts through everything else.

“So what?”

Not “What’s the evidence?”
Not “What’s the most important slide?”
But: Why does this matter to the person in front of me?

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That question changes the shape of your presentation.
It moves you from content delivery to meaning delivery - from dumping knowledge to making something stick.

LESS MESS, MORE MESSAGE

Here’s something to try next time you’re building a presentation:

1. Take your draft slide deck -

   even a rough one.

2. For each slide, ask:

   So what? Why should they care?

3. Then watch what happens:

   • Some slides disappear.

   • Others get sharper.

   • A few might turn into something new entirely.

This is how your presentation shifts from being about you to being for them.

And that’s where the magic lives.

Here's how I frame it when I'm building or reviewing a talk:

What → So What → Now What

​
What?​
What’s the idea or insight?

So what?​
Why does it matter to the audience?

Now what?​
What should they feel, think, or do next?

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This is a simple tool, but once you start seeing it, you can’t unsee it.
It’s the spine of every memorable talk you’ve ever heard.

ASK YOURSELF THIS

What’s the one thing I want them to feel, think, or do -because of this?

That’s your talk.
Everything else is noise.