I am often asked to be the bridge between scientific/ technical experts and the non-expert who needs to know their information. And I’ve learned that the best way to do this is to:
Teach the scientists and experts how to communicate so that their audience understands not only the facts, but their impact.
Here’s what I teach them.
Advice #1
Understand what you want to accomplish by communicating your data.
Is there an action you expect the listener to take? A point of view to adopt? If it’s just to “inform them,” think again.
Advice #2
Consider the attention span of the recipient.
Hint: It’s always shorter than you think. So put the most important content first whether speaking or writing.
Advice #3
Use the level of detail that is meaningful to the listener.
Hint: it’s always less detailed than you think. And less detail than you would need if YOU were the audience.
Honestly, I wish I’d known this earlier in my career, when I was tasked with presenting my research team’s results to our pharmaceutical partners.
But I’m glad I can pass it along now.
