| "I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had | | | | their "forfeited lifetime income". That is |
| only 1600 pairs." Imelda MarcosEverything's | | | | what happened to this claimant, and the |
| relative. A million dollars sounds like a lot | | | | |
| of money to someone who | | | | amount he would have lost was $750,000. So |
| | | | in fact, counsel was asking no more |
| makes an average salary, but it's a drop in | | | | |
| the bucket to a Warren Buffett or a Bill | | | | than the amount the man would have earned, |
| | | | had he not met with this unfortunate |
| Gates. Running a hundred metres in a few | | | | |
| seconds seems like a miracle to ordinary | | | | accident.Don't you think the jury is more |
| | | | likely to agree when given this background |
| mortals, but a track and field athlete will | | | | |
| work hard to shave even more off that | | | | explanation?Here are three ways to put |
| | | | figures in context for your audience.1. |
| time.Yet presenters often quote statistics | | | | Compare them to something to which they can |
| without benchmarks, so the audience doesn't | | | | personally relate, as in the |
| | | | |
| know how to evaluate them. Is $10,000 a lot | | | | courtroom example.2. Compare them to a |
| of money? Well it is for a bicycle. It's | | | | similar situation. If a new manufacturing |
| | | | process takes fifteen |
| not much for a house, unless that house is | | | | |
| in a small village in a third world | | | | minutes, mention that the old one took two |
| | | | hours, so we save 1-3/4 hours.For |
| country, where it might be exorbitant. If | | | | |
| you quote numbers this way, you will lose | | | | even more effect, tell them how much time |
| | | | this will save in an average shift or on a |
| the audience while they try to decide | | | | |
| whether $125,000 is good, bad or indifferent | | | | certain number of product units. Go further |
| | | | and translate that time into money and |
| in this context. Your statistics lose their | | | | |
| power.In a presentation skills workshop for a | | | | the statistic will now be a strong argument |
| group of lawyers, one participant was | | | | for change.3. Create vivid word pictures to |
| | | | illustrate size: That's the equivalent of |
| practicing his delivery of an address to the | | | | five football |
| jury in an upcoming trial. He was asking | | | | |
| | | | fields. That's enough to fill ten |
| for damages in the amount of $750,000, and | | | | Olympic-size swimming pools. If laid |
| hoped the jury would consider it | | | | end-to-end |
| | | | |
| reasonable. It's quite a large sum, and most | | | | they would stretch from New York to L.A. and |
| ordinary folks think of that kind of cash | | | | back again.Statistics can be great |
| | | | persuaders, but only when the audience has |
| as a lottery win. He needed to put it in | | | | the means to |
| context for them.He might, for example, ask | | | | |
| the jury to suppose they were thirty-five | | | | evaluate them.Helen Wilkie is a professional |
| years old and | | | | keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and |
| | | | author, |
| earning a salary of $40,000 a year. By the | | | | |
| time they reached the age of sixty-five, | | | | helping companies save their money and |
| | | | people save their sanity through better |
| allowing for reasonable increases, they | | | | |
| could expect to have earned a certain | | | | communication. Her latest book is "The |
| | | | Hidden Profit Center-a tale of profits lost |
| amount. (He would do the arithmetic and | | | | |
| insert the actual sum.) That amount would | | | | and found through communication." For more |
| | | | articles and other information, visit |
| be what is called their "expected lifetime | | | | |
| income". However, if they were involved in | | | | While you're there, sign up for |
| | | | Communi-keys and |
| an accident and suddenly unable to work any | | | | |
| more, that amount now represents | | | | receive monthly communication techniques |
| | | | directly from Helen. |