You would need to write a very big book to cover all the elements that go into preparing knockout presentations. And indeed, more than a few forests have been felled by speaker-authors who've attempted to do just that. This article will attempt no such thing.
Instead, it will simply arm you with a few laser-focused tactics that will set you apart as a speaker who informs, engages, and impacts an audience. The following techniques might sound gimmicky. And when used haphazardly, they are. But use these methods judiciously, and your presentation audiences will gladly give you a hand -- while eating from the palm of yours.
More importantly, they will remember your message, plea, proposal or pitch, because they remember you. Here go those techniques, in no particular order...
Alliteration. That is, weaving words wonderfully so that similar sounds successively tickle your target's tympanum. Alliteration can dress up important but unfortunately drab-sounding concepts.
Fr'instance, if you were giving a presentation at a stress-management seminar, you might tell attendees they were going to learn how to, "Relax, Relate, and Release" their stress away in three easy steps. And then you'd devote a few minutes of explanation to each one of those steps.
Here's another example (which you also may have heard before). Which of these sounds better:
1) "Your values, beliefs and actions, not your inherent intellectual capability, will serve as the predictor of your life outcomes." OR...
2) "It's your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude..."
'Nuff said.
Rhyming and Rhythmic Cadence. A close relative of alliteration, these also rely on our fascination with the song-like manipulation of language. And they too can help your audience remember multiple points more easily.
"This 'Stop Snitchin' epidemic is an insidious menace to our youth, ladies and gentlemen, and it always has three predictably tragic acts: Violence; Sirens; Silence."
Used skillfully, rhyming and cadence can arouse powerful emotion and support from your audience. Just be careful with these -- if you're doing a business presentation, you don't want to turn it into a Poetry Slam.
Acronyms. These words that are substitute abbreviations for entire thought processes can help your audience (and you) remember multi-part concepts in a fun way.
"Today you're going to learn the 'F.I.S.T.' hierarchy for transforming a hostile boss into your best ally. F - Flatter, because bosses need praise, too. I - Interview, because they love to talk about themselves. S - Sympathize with them for pressures they face managing and motivating your team. And T - Take your boss to lunch every now and then, because it can get lonely for him or her at the top."
... And voila, when you lay out a roadmap like that with an acronym, there's the outline for your speech.
And don't forget the good ol' K.I.S.S. method of writing instructional articles -- Keep It Simple, Stupid. Oops, maybe not the best example. But you get the idea.
Audience Connectors
Why do these techniques work? It could be because we humans are always seeking patterns in our environment, so that we can make better sense of the world around us. Don't believe it? Just consider all the people who claim to see deities in the mold patterns on their week-old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The above techniques are more than just cheap tricks; they are powerful rhetorical devices that allow you to connect more effectively with your audience.
So before your next presentation, put away the PowerPoint, at least initially. First, get out your notepad and your thinking cap, and see what ear-catching phrases you can come up with for your presentation.
