How to avoid burying the lead
1 How not to present
There I was, standing in front of my peers and supervisors, poised to deliver a presentation on the science of metal strength. But it was going to be a failure of mental strength. My slides were thorough, my research meticulous—I was ready. Or so I thought. What unfolded next was a crash course in how not to deliver a presentation.
As I launched into the technical intricacies of metals, I saw it happening: glazed eyes, shifting seats, and disinterested glances. I soldiered on, believing that more context would do the job. When the session concluded, I received a blunt critique from my supervisor that hit me hard.
“That was horrible. You lost them within the first five minutes.”
At that moment, I realized he was right. I had failed to connect. I hadn’t just buried the lead—I’d buried the audience under a mountain of unnecessary details. They didn’t need a crash course in material science; they needed the essentials, presented clearly and engagingly.
In an effort to improve, I sought inspiration from an unexpected place: journalism. Journalists excel at presenting complex information in a way that captures attention and keeps readers engaged. The most important thing for a journalist is: do not bury the lead.
2 Start with the Most Important Information
Journalists use the “Five Ws and One H” — who, what, when, where, why, and how. Hook the audience by answering their most pressing questions upfront, and leave the deep dives for later.
2.1 One sentence you have
Not all information is equally valuable. Through a method called “Forced Prioritization,” I began ranking my talking points by significance. What does the audience really need to know? If you only have one sentence, drop what can wait. If you say three things, you say nothing.
2.2 The Inverted Pyramid
Because burying the lead is undesirable, journalists place the most significant details first in their stories. Layer more information as fundament.
Applying this “Inverted Pyramid” in presentations allows your audience to grasp the key points even if their attention wanes. For me, this meant reordering my slides and ensuring the big ideas were front and center.
3 The Takeaway
The sting of failure taught me the value of clear communication.
These techniques transformed my approach. Forced Prioritization ensured I addressed what mattered most, while the Inverted Pyramid helped me build my delivery for clarity.
Applying journalistic principles to my presentations didn’t just make them better—it made them resonate. Whether you’re presenting science, pitching an idea, or telling a story, the formula is simple: lead with what matters and only tell one thing
My audience may not remember every detail about metal strength, but now, they’ll remember me as someone who knows how to deliver a message.