I’ve had many sleepless nights the night before a big presentation. What questions didn’t I think of? Are the slides organized right? Should I wear flats so I don’t trip over the carpeting?
As you’ll see from this week’s viewer email, I’m not the only one who’s worried about that big prez. In this week’s video, you’ll learn how to deliver an Oscar worthy presentation that will knock everyone’s socks off.
The big challenge with any presentation is getting your story together. It needs to be organized in an uber simple way so it’s easy to grasp and repeat. Now, dig deep and channel your inner Aristotle (stick with me here) and your inner J. Law (seriously…stick with me here). Those two folks know how to deliver a winning story. Let’s take a few cues from them and get you on track for that big presentation.
We’re all suckers for a great story and you want one that will leave your audience ready to co-sign on what you’re suggesting. We’r going to make it super simple by organizing your presentation into thee parts; a grounding beginning, an intriguing middle and a show-stopping end.
The Grounding Beginning
Get your audience firmly rooted in your current state – the good, the bad and the ugly. If you see heads nodding that’s definitely a plus. It means your audience agrees with your portrayal of the current situation. Now hit ‘em with your vision for what COULD be. This will immediately create some dissonance for the audience and that’s totally a good thing. They’ll be curious to see how you’re going to close the psychological gap you’ve just created for them.
Intriguing Middle
Build on the dissonance you just created by repeatedly (about three times) reflecting on the current state (what it is) and your vision for the future (what it could be), for the areas where you’re proposing change. The more times your audience sees the contrast of “what it is” vs. “what it could be”, the more they’ll want to experience “what it could be”. This places them right where you want them.
A show-stopping End
Now that you’ve got them eating out of your well-manicured hand, hit them with an inspirational call to action and what I like to call a bliss list. Rally the audience behind the vision for the future with specific asks of them and/or their teams. Then, show them the list of office awesomeness that will result from your great idea. Maybe its greater productivity, which leads to lower turnover, which leads to reduced cost and more profit. Whatever it is for you, list it. This shows the value of the proposal for you and the organization as a whole and that’s a serious win-win.
Now comes the fun part, I get to listen to you! So tell me, was this helpful? Leave a comment below, share your thoughts with other viewers and sign up for email updates. You never know how your voice will impact someone’s life. Need some personalized career attention? Work with me and get 10x the career love and attention.
The corporate world needs that brilliance that only you bring. So go out into the world, act with conviction, be courageous and live joyfully every single day.
XOXO,
Adwoa
Adwoa Dadzie is a Director of Human Resources and Corporate Career Strategist. The views expressed in this post are Adwoa’s and do not reflect the views of her employer. Follow her on Twitter @adwoadadzie3, Instagram @adwoadadzie, Periscope @adwoadadzie3, or visit her at adwoadadzie.com.
