Watch Nancy’s TEDx video that presents her sparklines analysis of how Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. Watch for what she views as Job’s top four dramatic techniques: repeatable sound bites, shocking statistics, evocative visuals, and memorable dramatization.

Every client presentation, every personal essay, every cover letter, every fund-raising request—they’re all pitches. They’re stories with the endings chopped off. A good pitch is set up in three acts: The first act is the past, the second act is the present, and the third act is the future. The first act is where you’ve been—what you want, how you