“Something must be at stake that convinces the audience that a great deal will be lost if the hero doesn’t obtain his goal.”3 If nothing is at risk, then it’s not interesting.

Skilled presenting requires you to understand their hearts and minds and create a message to resonate with what’s already there. Your audience will be significantly moved if you send a message that is tuned to their needs and desires.

The middle of a presentation is made up of various types of contrast. People are naturally drawn to contrast because life is surrounded by it. Day and night. Male and female. Up and down. Good and evil. Love and hate.

The gray text of the innermost circle walks you through the stages of The Hero’s Journey: (1) Heroes are introduced in the Ordinary World, where (2) they receive the Call to Adventure. (3) They are initially reluctant and might even Refuse the Call but (4) are encouraged by a Mentor to (5) Cross the First Threshold and enter the Special World,

Transform Ideas Into Meaning So far, you’ve generated and collected ideas. Now you’ll give those ideas meaning. The structure and significance of stories transforms information from static and flat to dynamic and alive. Stories reshape information into meaning.

Rewards should appeal to physical, relational, or self-fulfillment needs: Basic needs: The human body has basic needs like food, water, shelter, and rest. When any of those are threatened, people will risk life and limb to secure them—even for someone else. People don’t like to see others’ basic needs go unmet, and this prompts generosity.

People are naturally attracted to opposites, so presentations should draw from this attraction to create interest. Communicating an idea juxtaposed with its polar opposite creates energy. Moving back and forth between the contradictory poles encourages full engagement from the audience.

Your objective is to find the most relevant and believable way to link your issue to your audience’s top values and concerns.

according to the former AT&T presentation research manager, Ken Haemer, “designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it ‘to whom it may concern.’”