Resonate

Cliffhanger: It’s at this point in the story you can break to explain how the technology works. The audience will be left in a state of suspense, wondering what becomes of the characters, while you provide background on the solution. This serves two purposes: You privilege your audience with information the characters don’t have, and you provide th

The beginning of the presentation form is everything that comes before the first turning point, the call to adventure. The first flat line of the form represents the beginning of your presentation. This is where you describe the audience’s ordinary world and set the baseline of what is. You can use historical information about what has been or the

Refusal of the Call COMFORT ZONE What’s their tolerance level for change? Where is their comfort zone? How far out of it are you asking them to go? FEAR What keeps them up at night? What’s their greatest fear? What fears are valid, and which should be dispelled? VULNERABILITIES In which areas are they vulnerable? Any recent changes, errors, or weak

presentations address the contrast of what is versus what could be.

The gap between what is and what could be is established through creating contrast.

The beginning doesn’t have to be long. It might be as simple as a short statement or phrase that sets the baseline of what is. While it can be longer, it should not take up more than 10 percent of your total time.

All types of writing, including presentations, fall somewhere in between two extreme poles: reports and stories. Reports inform, while stories entertain. The structural difference between a report and a story is that a report organizes facts by topic, while a story organizes scenes dramatically.

An inoculation purposefully infects a person to minimize the severity of an infection. The same takes place when you empathetically address an audience’s refusals by stating them openly in your talk. This will help them see that you’ve thought through everything—which will decrease their anxiety.

Let’s remember that there is one indisputable attribute of a good story: there must be some kind of conflict or imbalance perceived by the audience that your presentation resolves.