“Just put down the measuring stick” – The power of a simple message

Have you noticed that the one thing most memorable and impactful speeches and presentations have in common is a simple message.

It’s very tempting to try to impress an audience by telling them how much we know. Many presenters will often speak at great length, sharing extensive detail on a topic or idea, with their audience leaving wondering what their message was.

In a previous article, ‘Molly Graham’s TED Talk shares an interesting message, “The stairs are an illusion” I wrote, ‘All too often our message is lost as we overwhelm our audience with data. If we don’t craft and deliver a clear message we can be assured that not only will our audience not hear it but that they will forget most of what they do hear by the time they return to their desk.’

Keep it simple

When it comes to public speaking and presenting, it really does pay to leave our audience with a simple message. The message is even more impactful if it’s clear, relevant and rewarding.

Demi Moore accepted the award for Female Actor – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

In her short speech she delivered a very simple message, “Just put down the measuring stick.”

The power of a simple message

Having a simple message:

– Allows you to stay focused and get straight to the point

– Stops your audience from trying to decipher your content to understand what you are saying

– Removes confusion and ambiguity

– Helps people to understand quickly

– Gives your audience something to think about when they leave you

– You are more likely to be remembered

“Just put down the measuring stick”

I believe I resonated with Demi Moore’s acceptance speech not only because of the clarity, sincerity and simplicity of her message but because it’s a ubiquitous challenge for many of us. I see it every week in our public speaking workshops.

So many highly talented and brilliant professionals tell me that they wish they could present like one of their colleagues or perhaps their boss.

They say things like, they:

– Make it look so easy

– Seem to know exactly what to say and how to say it

– Are super confident and unphased by anything

– Know how to captivate an audience

The truth

Many people think that great public speakers must be born that way because they make it look so easy.

The truth is, it’s not easy; they have just spent a great deal of time, energy and effort focusing on learning and developing the skill.

You will be pleased to know that it is a skill we can all develop. At Mindful Presenter we believe that not only is it within our gift to speak with confidence, clarity and impact but that we owe it to ourselves and others to find, value and express our true voice.

Sometimes we need to, “Just put down the measuring stick”

Watch the full acceptance speech here:

If you’d like help putting down your measuring stick:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

Image courtesy of Canva.com