Why "Just Presenting the Facts" Isn't Enough

And why it's your duty as an expert to guide the audience when you speak

Impactful Speaking

and

Damien GAUTHIER

Jul 28, 2025

The Trap of the Neutral Report

"I don't want to influence anyone. I'm just presenting the facts."

This sounds fair. Balanced, objective, and respectful. The last thing we want is to be "manipulating" our audience.

And yet, it's one of the biggest traps I see in professional communication.

Many experts believe that if they deliver data in a clean, neutral tone, without emotion, without framing, without narrative, they're doing a good job: they're staying honest.

But here's the truth: information doesn't explain itself. Facts don't answer questions, nor do they reveal the underlying truth behind the numbers.

It's not the information that creates meaning. It's the way we frame it, the light we shine on it, and the journey we create around it.

And if you don't guide that journey, the audience gets lost. They leave confused or worse, indifferent.

1. The Curse of Knowledge: What's Clear to You Isn't Always Clear to Them

As an expert, you master your topic in and out. You've been working on this project for months, maybe even years. The context is second nature to you. You see the red flags, the subtle signals, the strategic implications.

But your audience? They're just arriving and often do not "speak your language".

This disconnect is what psychologists call the curse of knowledge. Once we've mastered something, we forget what it's like not to know it. We assume others will catch on quickly, that they don't need the backstory, the simplifications, or the metaphors. But they do.

And ironically, it's often the most experienced people (senior execs, investors, board members) who appreciate a clear recap the most. They want to see how the key points connect to the bigger picture.

In my consulting work, I've seen this again and again: when you take 30 seconds to set the stage and remind everyone of the "why," you get not only more engagement, but also trust.

It's not condescending to explain. It's leadership.

2. The Myth of Academic Neutrality: You're Not a Robot, You're a Guide

There's another story that many experts tell themselves, especially those coming from research, science, or academic backgrounds:

"I shouldn't take a side. My job is to present all options fairly and equally. It's not my role to recommend."

This mindset makes sense in academia, where the goal is to explore all hypotheses and minimize bias, and where you mostly talk to peers. But in a business or organizational setting, neutrality can backfire and look like indecision.

When you speak in front of a leadership team or decision-makers, they don't need a menu: they need a map. They want your insight, not just your information.

They want to know:

What do you see?
What do you recommend?
What would you do in our place?

Your expertise is more than just collecting facts; it's helping others make sense of them. And that includes forming a clear, honest, well-reasoned point of view.

Being a trusted advisor doesn't mean being neutral: it means being impartial. It means being credible, clear, and committed. It means showing the range of options, but also sharing the direction you believe is best, and backing it up with logic and care.

And no, you're not taking control away from your audience. You're giving them clarity so they can choose more confidently.

Your Role: Connect the Dots, Don't Drop the Page

Remember those childhood games where you had to connect numbered dots to reveal the picture? At first glance, the page was a mess: random points scattered everywhere. But as you followed the numbers, slowly, an image took shape: a dolphin, a rocket, a landscape...

Presenting complex information is just like that.

The data, the facts, and figures are the dots. If you show everything at once, the picture doesn't make sense: it is just overwhelming. But if you lead them through it, connecting the dots, they don't just receive information. They see the meaning behind it.

That's your role as a speaker: not to overwhelm with raw data, but to guide attention with intention. Your voice, your slides, your structure are tools to produce meaning.

Use them to:

Highlight the key points
Connect the dots
Make the invisible visible
And show what matters most, and why

This isn't manipulation. It's responsible communication.

And yes, it may feel uncomfortable at first, especially if you were taught not to "do not influence the facts." But remember: this isn't about influence, it's about service. Helping others see what they can't yet see.

Bottom Line: Speak Like a Trusted Advisor, Not a Data Distributor

Yes, the facts are important.

But they don't move people on their own. They don't inspire action. They don't create shared understanding.

That's your job.

Your audience isn't asking for a spreadsheet in human form.

They're asking for clarity. For confidence. For someone to help them navigate complexity.

So don't just "present."

Frame the context
Build the argument
Guide the reasoning
Own your recommendation

Speak with conviction, not just precision.

Speak to connect, not just to inform.

Because in the end, speaking is not about pushing data.

It's about helping people think, feel, and decide, together.

Public Speaking Master - Impactful Speaking GPT

Impactful Speaking has its own GPT!

I created a custom GPT to provide responses and guidance with my knowledge and style. Today it is available publicly to anyone with a chatGPT 4 account and totallize already 1000+ users, ranking number 1 in public speaking GPTs on the GPT store!

Give it a try:

https://chat.openai.com/g/g-Bevc5jv8V-public-speaking-master-impactful-speaking