Because of the complexity of technical presentations, it is especially important that you consider ways to help your audience absorb the information. Technical presentations include anything unfamiliar to your audience. Even if your material does not involve quantitative examples or extensive jargon, it is still easy for you to be so engrossed in your field that you forget how little an audience will know about it. Here are three tips you might find helpful:

1) Draw Conclusions and Focus Your Presentation Around Them

Technical analysts often feel that they should just present information and let the data speak for itself. This is rarely the case. Unless the presentation is purely an informational briefing, the audience will want an interpretation or judgment about the data, and you, as the technical expert, are often immensely qualified to make that judgement.

Technical analysts will also sometimes assume that the conclusions are obvious and that pointing them out is redundant. But the audience does not have your expertise and needs you to directly tell them. 2) Start with a Preview of Your Presentation Previewing your presentation helps in two important ways. One, cognitive researchers have found that a preview spurs an audience to mentally activate related knowledge. For example, if you say that you are about to discuss financial derivatives, the audience members will consciously and subconsciously recall what they know about derivatives, which will better prepare them to learn. Two, a preview gives your audience a reason to listen to your presentation; the preview is your chance to intrigue your audience with value during the initial, critical moments when you start speaking. 3) Identify and Explain Jargon Jargon consists of words or concepts that your audience may not understand. Unexplained jargon can obscure the meaning of your conclusions, and if the audience asks for clarification, your explanation may sidetrack your presentation, especially if you are not prepared to concisely explain the jargon in a way that supports your analysis.

There is no secret to identifying jargon; I recommend asking someone who is less familiar with the field if they understand the critical concepts. If not, find a way to explain them in terms that will support your conclusion. This exercise often strengthens your presentation by allowing you to reflect on simplified, critical points.