Tip 26: Do not tell them everything you know
Do not fall into the trap of thinking that in order for your audience to understand anything, you must tell them everything.
You should aim to present only 1-2% of what you know about the topic.
The remaining 98-99% should be kept in reserve. (In the real world however, it is seldom possible to have this much information held in reserve unless you are already an expert in that topic.)
Do not make your audience endure a “data dump” – this is when the presenter subjects the audience to a barrage of meaningless data in the hope that they will find something of interest somewhere in all that information. This is a sign of poor preparation as it shows that the presenter has not tailored the presentation to the interests and needs of that particular audience.
The benefit of having a large reserve of knowledge on tap is that if your audience were to ask for more information, you would be in a very strong position to deliver it. Even if your audience wanted a completely different angle from the one you had presented, you would not struggle to give your audience what they wanted.
If you're just starting out as a presenter or you're feeling insecure or you're speaking in an academic setting, your biggest temptation will be to say everything you know about your subject. Resist that temptation.
See also: Tip 19: Research your topic thoroughly – be an expert
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