Content.Here’s one way you can think about structuring your content to engage an audience.*

Content roadmap

* Thanks to Dan Klein and Stand and Deliver. Here is a book about it: http://standanddeliver/book

First, you want to ramp up your audience. This is your opportunity to set the stage and really get them engaged. If all else fails, start with the word “you.” Once you have their attention, be specific with where you’re taking them. Give them a roadmap that foreshadows the rest of your talk, before you jump in to your main points. Leave time to open the floor up for a Q&A session. And don’t forget to leave your audience with dessert! You want to end on a high note: think about including a fact, anecdote, or an example as a take-away.

Rule of ThreeWe see the power of threes quite often in storytelling. The three part outline is common from folk tales (Goldilocks and the Three Bears: too hot, too cold, just right) to our favorite films (pick any romantic comedy: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end).

Using a three part structure makes your presentation more familiar and understandable to your audience. Try to distill your content down to three main points. For longer speeches each point can be supported by three sub-points.

Too often presentations are entirely focused on the presenter. You’ll hear things like,“I am... I had this idea... I need...” etc. When you’re putting together your next presentation, step back for a moment and think about the audience.

Imagine who your audience is: college students, VC funders, your significant other? Think about the outcome you want from them at the end of your talk: do you want people in the audience to sign up, donate money, tell their friends? For that outcome to happen what do they need to know? What do they need to feel?

Audience Focused Performance.How to design a presentation with your audience in mind.*

Who is your audience?

* Thanks to Dan Klein and Stand and Deliver. Here is a book about it: http://standanddeliver/book

We vs. You

Ask yourself: why does the audience care about what I have to say? What matters to them? If you’re having trouble, start with what you believe in about you idea and why and then take it from there.

Think about beginning your presentation with your audience in mind. If all else fails, start with the word “you.” Don’t shy away from it or feel like you’re assuming too much. Beginning with the word “we” may feel like a safer choice because it invokes commonality, but it also runs the risk of feeling disingenuous and can dilute your message. Either way, if you can speak to an audience’s need and you’re right, they’ll listen.

Adding Details.Bring your story to life by adding details from one of these four “languages.”*

How to: use details

* Thanks to Dan Klein and Stand and Deliver. Here is a book about it: http://standanddeliver/book

Activity: designing dessertConsider the following examples:

A man walks down the street carrying a box.

A young man strolls leisurely down the street, carrying two small packages wrapped in yellow paper. He whistles as he walks, as if he had all the time in the world.

Which one reads more authentically? An important aspect of performance and storytelling is conveying authenticity. Try adding details to really bring your story to life with the following activity.

An anecdote can be a great way to leave a lasting impression at the end of a presentation. For this activity, you’ll need a partner and about 10 minutes:

Partner One: Tell a 90 second story to your partner about a time you were moved.

Partner Two: Sum up the story you just heard including the key elements. Bestow meaning on the story and share your thoughts with your partner.

Partner One: Add details from one of the four languages above and retell your 90 second story.

Switch.

Delivery. A quick outline of how you can use body, voice, and eyes to connect with an audience.

How to: use your voice

Thanks to Dan Klein and Stand and Deliver. Here is a book about it: http://standanddeliver/book

Body languageYour voice is the principal mechanism for conveying your content and keeping your audience’s interest.

Modulate your pitch, tone, and volume to create variety, keep your audience’s attention, and convey authenticity. If your voice is too monotone, that can make your audience bored; if it’s too consistently excited, it’s easy to tune you out.

Your body conveys your status through your physical posture. Do you want to address your audience while you’re seated, with legs together and your arms folded around you? Are you leaned back, arms out, one leg kicked in the air? These two postures convey di!erent credibility and intent.

Raise your sternum before you speak. Physically lift up your body to change your status.

A belief is a feeling of certainty about something. It is an interpretation of facts that is true if we believe it to be true. There are two types of beliefs that can a!ect your state: empowering and limiting.

Empowering beliefs are ones that are going to help you along; you want to burnish these and make them stronger. Limiting beliefs will hinder you; these are the ones you want to tone down or flip them to be empowering beliefs.

Try this exercise: on your own or with a partner (it’s nice to have a little support), think of a limiting belief. For example: my voice sounds weird on audio. Then think of ways that it can be changed to an empowering belief. You could reinterpret the example: my voice is unique or my voice is part of my character on camera.

State.Your state speaks louder than anything during a performance. Use these tips on physiology, focus, and beliefs to get in the right state before you go on stage.*

Change your physiology

* Thanks to Dan Klein and Stand and Deliver. Here is a book about it: http://standanddeliver/book

One of the quickest ways to change your state is to change your body. Try this exercise before your next meeting or presentation: jump up and down and laugh hysterically for 10 seconds. Actually go ahead and try it right now. How do you feel? Lighter? More relaxed? Are you smiling?

Focus your thoughtsTry the following exercise: Scan the room for 10 seconds and take note of all the black things you see. Find them... find them. Now, close your eyes. Visualize the room and identify all the BLUE things. Not so easy, is it? We tend to see what we’re looking for and have a harder time seeing what’s beyond that.

You can change your mental focus by asking and answering new questions. Try this: while walking or jogging as yourself these questions: What am I grateful for? Answer it. Then ask it again and answer with something new. Continue with the following questions: What am I proud of? What am I looking forward to? Each time you do this, lift your sternum and make your posture more upright.

Next time you find yourself thinking about everything you need to do that day, or what didn’t get done, try shifting your focus to the questions above.

Empower your beliefs