There are two ways to get high marks as a presenter.  You can either be exceptionally entertaining (form) or you can impart information that people are desperate to have (substance). 

"Substance Over Form" is one of those concepts that every accountant learns in their accounting 101 course.  It is the principle that says auditors must look at the substance of a given transaction rather than just its form.  

When you are making presentations, you can be successful with either of these two approaches, but the best result happens when you combine an entertaining style with valuable information.

I have seen presenters who use all of the filler words "um", "uh", "you know" multiple times, and they still get high marks when they have content that is timely and relevant.  These are  what I call the "Substance Over Form" presenters.  They are very successful in making presentations on topics that are required for CPE credits. 

I have also seen presenters who have so much style that they could stand up and read a phone book out loud and make it interesting.  Susan Sheridan Austin was this kind of presenter.  Susan went well beyond form and  took great pains to  have amazing content as well.  But it wasn't necessary.

And style isn't about fancy slides and slick graphics. I have seen a lawyer make a fantastic presentation using no visual tools at all. While working off an outline which he handed out to the audience,he  told story after story and brought his message to life.

I think of myself as a "Form Over Substance" presenter.  To me the greatest fun is to take a boring topic and make it interesting.  And when the audience is expecting a boring presentation on something like Sarbanes Oxley and they end up being entertained instead, that is the greatest thrill in the world. And hopefully they walk away with new insights as a result of paying attention.

Someday if I get enough practice and work hard enough, I might  be half as good as Susan Sheridan Austin.

 
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