| This leads many speakers to make use of | | | | speaking audiences expect to hear |
| statistics in their presentations. It is an | | | | well-crafted words, not numbers. Even if the |
| intuitive decision. The facts and numbers | | | | numbers provide some great insight, they do |
| one discovered during their research may have | | | | not match with what people generally expect |
| been the very pieces of information that led | | | | to hear from a presenter. We are all |
| to the development of their viewpoint in the | | | | creatures of habit and we tend to respond |
| first place. The discovery of trends, the | | | | poorly to those things that do not meet our |
| startling revelations revealed in a | | | | expectations. That is why the best public |
| statistical report and the recognition of a | | | | speakers adhere to certain conventions that |
| problem as revealed by numbers can be the | | | | have developed over the centuries. A speech |
| very evidence upon which a claim is | | | | heavy on numbers defies convention and can |
| built.Unfortunately, this great idea of using | | | | leave an audience confused on some level and |
| numbers to improve a presentation is often a | | | | disinterested on another.Additionally, |
| recipe for a public speaking disaster. No | | | | numbers tend to translate better for us in |
| matter how persuasive statistical facts may | | | | visual terms. We read numbers, look at |
| be to a researcher or to someone reading up | | | | charts and graphs, and perform calculations |
| on a subject of interest, they tend to fall | | | | with calculators and spreadsheets we can see. |
| very flat on public speaking audiences. A | | | | Numbers, for most people are a visual |
| speech riddled with numbers and statistics, | | | | entity. They work for us visually--they can |
| no matter what they really prove and how | | | | even inspire us when we discover them. |
| impressive the speaker originally found them, | | | | However, from the aural point of view, |
| will often be lost on even the most otherwise | | | | numbers fall flat. The mind translates |
| interested audience.Why is it that facts and | | | | numbers when we hear them, but not at the |
| figures translate so poorly in public | | | | same rate or with the same level of efficacy |
| speaking? There are few reasons.Initially, | | | | as it does when we see them. Talking about |
| there is the issue of expectations. Public | | | | numbers is like writing about music. |