by Cam Barber
Telecommunications companies discovered that this appeared more reasonable than continuously raising the fee per minute. We accept the fees because these are separate ‘things’ in our mind - as opposed to the fee per minute continuing to increase.
Chunking to sell an idea
Here’s a story about a charming old guy called ‘Farmer Jim’. It shows how a chunked conversation can engage a listener, create curiosity about the next point, increase the attention span of a listener and help them recall the key points.
Farmer Jim was at an agricultural show when he stopped at a display of shiny, red, new tractors. Jim wasn’t in the market for a tractor, but he stopped to gather information. The Tractor Guy asked Jim which tractor he was currently operating.
“A ten-year-old John Deere,” Jim replied. “It does the job, so I don’t need a new one - and I can’t really afford to replace it.”
“Fair enough. Replacing a tractor is one of your biggest expenses. I find there are 3 things that come into play when farmers are considering a changeover.” Tractor guy expanded on those 3 things:
• The limitations of older tractors, particularly reliability and cost of operation.
• The new technology that makes tractors incredibly efficient and amazingly comfortable – “It’s like sitting in a car” – reducing fatigue.
• The return on investment. “Your monthly outlay won’t be a lot more than you’re paying now, and will be more than paid back by the output you’ll get from the machine.”
The two kept talking, with Jim asking questions, testing claims and seeking more detail. But the entire conversation was now structured around the 3 chunks outlined at the start - making it much easier to process the information, think clearly and get satisfying answers. Jim even felt like he was driving the conversation as he pushed for explanations on the 3 issues.
That night, Jim spoke to his wife and business partner, “I think it’s time to upgrade the tractor”.
“Why?” she said. “You’ve always said the one we have gets the job done just fine?”
“True, but there are 3 reasons it now makes sense.” Jim outlined 1) the limitations of his current tractor and 2) the benefits of the new technology. When his wife raises the question of cost, 3) Jim has the answer, the financing and return on investment.
Very quickly, both were comfortable with the decision to buy a new bright red tractor.
It’s important to realise that the Chunk Structure is not sneaky or manipulative. It’s simply clearer and easier to process information when it is chunked effectively. It’s the way our minds prefer to work. The tragedy is that good ideas fail to take hold because they are communicated in a way that’s unstructured and hard to follow. These wasted opportunities happen too often.
There’s something magical in this example. Not only was Tractor Guy able to deliver a clear and understandable message to Jim, but the message he delivered was transferable. Jim was able to go home and convey the same message, with almost all the detail, to his wife.
Tractor Guy knew exactly what he was doing.
Chunking ideas engages people early
First, he engaged Jim early by mentioning that there were 3 things farmers usually consider when buying a new tractor. By flagging 3 things – 3 chunks – right up front, we are pulled into the conversation. We need to know what the 3 things are and we listen more intently as they are delivered.
This is a huge benefit to the audience: chunks create interest – suspense – by placing an expectation in the listeners’ minds. Once Jim registered that there were ‘3 things’, he decided to stay long enough to hear all three.
The second thing Tractor Guy did with the Chunk Structure was bring Jim into the discussion - and help him feel he was in control of the information. How? The chunked structure gave Jim a framework to explore this idea. His own framework. And this helped make it a transferable idea. The framework made it easier for Jim to recall information to sell the idea to his decision-making partner.
The same method will work in your presentations. Breaking your ideas into chunks makes it easier for your audience to take that message and share it with others. So, chunks make it easier to create our holy grail: a simple, clear, transferable message.
There’s a third reason why chunks are good for your audience: they reduce the amount of thinking the audience needs to do. Listener overwhelm is the biggest challenge for a communicator. By providing a ready-made structure, the listener’s mind can relax as you gently add the details. And they feel more comfortable listening to you.
However, when a speaker has no clear structure, the audience is forced to create their own. There are 2 disadvantages to this: 1) the structure they create may not be the one you had in mind, so they recall different information than you had intended, and 2) IKEA syndrome - the extra mental energy required to ‘build their own structure’ increases mental fatigue. And attention spans are constantly reducing. People are not really conscious of why their attention keeps drifting, they just find you less interesting as a speaker!
Chunking can make you seem wise and thoughtful
So, generally speaking, communication that is chunked will be: more interesting, easier to recall and share with others, make the speaker seem more organised, easier to follow, make the speaker seem wiser and better prepared and, as a result, make the audience feel more connected and like the speaker more.
It’s also true that communication without a clear structure is less interesting; harder to follow; harder to recall and share with others; makes the speaker seem disorganised; makes the speaker seem less informed and amateurish; and, as a result, makes us have less confidence in what the speaker says. That’s how powerful the effect of chunking can be on your presentations.
In a nutshell, chunking makes it easier for you to prepare and deliver a presentation, and easier for your audience to absorb and recall your information.
So, let’s look at how to build your next presentation using the chunk structure…
STRUCTURING YOUR IDEAS, STEP-BY-STEP
There are 2 ways to lay out your Chunk Structure:
1. Column format (with sticky notes)
2. Text format
See below for both options.
1. Column format
2. Text format
Notice that the column format and the text format are essentially the same. Some people prefer the text format while others prefer the column format. Use the one that feels better for you.
Chunk Structure step-by-step
Let’s build a Chunk Structure step-by-step. This is often done with Sticky Notes, but you could do it on the back of a napkin once you’re familiar with the format.
Start with Message Statement and Title
You’ve already completed your Message Statement, simply add it to the bottom of the Chunk Structure.
Next, your title. A title is an opportunity that most people don’t take advantage of. A great test for a good title is to imagine an attendee at a conference with you and 9 other speakers. They only have time to attend 2 speeches, and must choose them based solely on their title. Does yours illuminate the issue and entice them to attend?
A good title can also work as a window to the interesting parts of your presentation. For example:
‘How we’ll meet our sales targets’ is better than ‘March update’.
‘How the new system will save you time’, is better than ‘The new system’.
‘Today I’m going to tell you 3 stories from my life’ (Steve Jobs’ Stanford speech) is better than ‘My life’.
Define your chunk headings
Now we need to give each chunk a heading. Your Message Statement is your guide here. Clarifying your chunk headings can be as simple as:
Read your Message Statement out loud to focus your attention.
Pause.
Now think about ALL the things you want to cover in your talk. Then decide on 2, 3 or 4 chunk headings. Everything you want to cover needs to
fit under one of these headings. Get them down on paper quickly - you can always change them later. No matter how complex your presentation, they can be simple, high level headings, like:
1. The opportunity.
2. The market profile.
3. The return on investment.
4. How we can work together.
One example that can apply to many subjects is a timeline:
1. The history of the issue …
2. The current situation …
3. What might happen in the future …
4. Next steps
Another example that can be used in a broad range of situations is:
1. The problem.
2. The options.
3. The solution.
Now, test your headings out loud - as though you were starting your talk and giving an overview. For example:
“Hi, this presentation is about Project X. And we’ll look at 3 areas… Firstly, the problem we have, secondly, the options we face, and finally, the recommended solution.”
If you like the way it sounds when you test it out loud, continue to the next step in your Chunk Structure. If it didn’t sound clear or complete, tweak it until you’re happy.
Tweaking the wording of your chunk headings
Keep the wording of your chunk headings simple, but make sure the language is relevant and interesting to your audience. For example: A Human Resources Manager from the head office of a franchise chain was making a speech to retail store managers about succession planning. She had created a presentation structure with three chunk headings:
1. Succession planning
2. Performance management
3. Our company’s experience.
After testing it out loud she realised that many of the store managers wouldn’t be clear on what she meant by ‘succession planning’ or ‘performance management’. These were terms they used in the HR Department, not the retail stores.
So she tweaked the chunk headings to use language that would hook her audience straight away. The reworked chunk headings were simpler and more meaningful to her listeners. (They also made it easier for her to sort her ideas.) It became:
1. What is a succession plan?
2. What exactly do you need to do to create one?
3. The benefits to you and your store.
Chunk headings give you the opportunity to grab the interest of the audience in the first 30 seconds. The right wording opens a ‘container’ in their mind for each chunk, making them curious to hear what falls under each heading.
Remember, it’s more effective to get ideas out of your head and write something down in rough form - and then tweak. You don’t need to wait until it’s all clear in your mind before you put pen to paper. The steps of this structure will actually do some of the sorting for you!
Find the key point for each chunk
With your chunk headings identified, it’s easy to sort your content under these headings. However, it’s a good idea to find the end point for each chunk first. This stops you getting bogged down in details. My radio announcer friends used to say “The best way to write a ‘talk break’ is to start at the end. The secret is to know how you are going to wrap up. Then the rest is easy to fill…”
The same goes for the sections of your talk. Find the key point for each chunk. The key point is a mini-message or ‘bottom-line point’ of the ideas you’ve explained in the chunk. The best way to find your bottom-line point for a chunk is to read this sentence out loud:
“So, in relation to [state the chunk heading], the point is…”
This drives your brain to crystallise your main point effortlessly. It’s many times more effective to do this out loud, than to just write what comes to mind. Almost magically, your mind will respond with words that flow and make sense. Here are 2 examples:
So, in relation to [the problem], the point is… [the current product has a 30% failure rate].
So, what is [a succession plan?], it’s… [a plan you need to have to ensure your business thrives].
With bottom-line points defined, ‘filling’ chunks with details is much easier. You see at a glance how the chunk ends, making it easy to see if you need more information, better examples or supporting data - or whether you can cut information because you already have enough to make your point. It’s much faster to review and edit at the outline stage, because you’re just tweaking key points, not wrestling with the full presentation.
Fill the chunks with examples, stories, evidence
Now that you have prioritised your key points you can add detail without agonising over it.
Include evidence, stories, examples, research, statistics or images or video (if using slides). It’s good to use a mixture of these for variety, but the main thing is that each point supports your final bottom-line point for that chunk. Remember, people will forget most of what they hear, so our job is to use evidence, examples, etc., to support or illuminate a simple takeaway point.
It’s usually best to avoid writing out full sentences at this stage. Sure, some people like to write out all the detail in ‘long hand’ while others will jot down just a couple of points. Do whatever works for you. But for most people, it’s more effective to use bullet points. Build your case point-by-point. Use them to explain, reinforce and prove the bottom-line point you are making.
Twice the impact using half the effort
This planning process works with any subject and for presentations of any length. It makes your preparation twice as effective, using half the effort. Here are 4 benefits of the speech outline planning process.
First, it reduces procrastination. You focus on one section at a time, produce a ‘first draft’ quickly and then go back and refine. Most people struggle too long to feel ‘clear’ before getting their first draft done.
Second, it helps you identify persuasive arguments. When you see your ideas laid out in a chunk structure, it’s easier to identify patterns and connections within your information. This helps you discover compelling points more naturally. The creative process flows with less friction.
Third, it helps you stay on track. Chunking makes it easier to go away and come back to your work without losing your way. You refine by simply changing headings or adding or subtracting sub-points.
Fourth, it saves time. The chunk structure is a massive short-cut compared to writing out a full speech, then reviewing that full speech 3 or 4 times to refine your ideas. It stops the mental ‘train wreck’ where all the ideas, questions and information surrounding your talk, pile up and block clear thinking. This makes the planning process feel effortless.
STRUCTURE HELPS YOU DELIVER A SPEECH MORE POWERFULLY
Remember, the START and END of a chunk are used as hooks by the mind. In fact, the start and the end of anything is compelling to your listeners. So use signpost words for emphasis. Words like ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’ and so on. And phrases like ‘Now let’s move on to…’, are effective for marking the beginning of a new point. When your audience’s attention wanders, these words pull them back. The same goes for ending a section: use language like, ‘So the main thing to remember about XYZ is…’ to wrap up an idea.
5 ways Chunk Structure helps you deliver a talk
Here are 5 ways the Chunk Structure helps you deliver a talk with greater impact and reduced effort.
First, the Chunk Structure makes it easier to remember what you want to say. And knowing your chunk headings and key points makes it much easier to recall the details within each section.
Second, it shows you what to emphasise. Many presentations have the same emphasis all the way through, like a song without a chorus, and they miss the opportunity to hit the high notes of the presentation. The Chunk Structure provides natural points of emphasis – the start and end of each chunk. Which is where you placed your most important takeaway messages. Nice.
Third, it controls rambling. People ramble when they’re not sure of their end point. As they wonder if the audience is getting �
��it’, they add more words. This uncertain tone sounds meek - and weakens their ability to persuade. It’s like they’re flying a plane and don’t know where to land. Of course the passengers feel uncomfortable! Conversely, emphasising points with certainty makes the speaker seem credible and convincing.
Fourth, the Chunk Structure gives you flexibility. You can easily reduce or expand the length of your talk without changing the structure. Imagine this: you’ve been given 30 minutes for your talk, but other speakers go over time and you’re asked to fit your talk into 15 minutes. What happens?
Scenario 1: You’ve rehearsed your speech word-for-word. Now, you’ve been asked to cut it in half. But you don’t know what to cut. Flustered, you race through your speech trying to squeeze it all in, apologising often.
Scenario 2: Your talk is structured into three or four chunks, and each of those has stories, examples and so on, that lead to a takeaway point. You simply leave out a few details in each chunk and end on your takeaway point as planned. The audience hears all the important stuff and has no idea what you cut. You’re able to speak calmly and end with your vivid message, just as planned. Sweet.
Fifth, the Chunk Structure helps you speak with more confidence. When your talk is easier to remember, and has the flexibility to adjust to real-world situations, you feel in control. It’s manageable. You’re ready, and you know it. You speak more naturally and with greater certainty.