Think of the last bad presentation pitch you had to listen too. Why was it so bad? My guess is that the pitch was about them, not you.
The favorite subject of anyone is themselves. A close second are techniques on how people can improve their own condition. This is the secret of exceptional communication: The Me-versus-You-Ratio.
The Me-versus-You-Ratio is a powerful tool which I often use to critique presentations, websites and marketing material of my clients. This is how it works.
- Prepare your presentation and review every slide in your slide deck.
- If the slide improves the condition of the audience, it’s a ‘You’ slide. Examples are how to optimize client engagement, techniques to reduce risks, industry trends to capitalize on, etc.
- All other slides are ‘Me’ slides. Typical examples are how long you have been in business, the history of your company, stories which make you look good, etc.
- Determine the ratio between Me versus You slides. If the amount of ‘Me-slides’ is more than 5%, start to eliminate as many ‘Me-slides’ as possible.
Keep in mind that in professional settings, people are generally not interested in you and your accomplishments, but are very eager to hear how you can improve their condition. It’s an obvious point, yet it’s forgotten too often.
How would you apply the Me-versus-You-Ratio to make your next communication all about them?