How-to-structure-a-presentation

HowtostructureapresentationHowtostructureapresentationAcompellingpresentationbasicallytellsastory.Itmaynotseemlikeit,butsuccessfulpresentationsallusethebasicstructureassociatedwithstories.Theyhaveabeginning,amiddleandanend.Planningwiththisinmindwillhelpclarifywhatyouwishtosay,whenyoushouldsayit,andhowtotiethethreadsofyourpresentationtogether.Thebeginning——是一个引言Thebeginningshapestherestofthepresentationandservestwomainpurposes:1.Tograbtheattentionofyouraudience.2.Tocalmtheelevatedlevelsofadrenalineracingthroughyourbloodstream,sothatyoucanrelaxintoyourpresentation.Ofcourse,experiencedpresenterswillknowhowtodealwithpre-shownerves.Butbeginnersshouldstarttheirpresentationwithsomethingthattheyfeelconfidentwilldrawtheaudience’sattention.Don’ttakeanyriskswithyouropeninglinesifyouarealreadyinunfamiliarterritory.Theaudience’sreactiontoyourbeginningcouldmakeorbreaktherestofthepresentation.Agoodopenerwillputyou,andtheaudience,atease.Abadonemaybemisunderstood,andnomatterhowthick-skinnedyoumaybeitishardtopresentwhenmembersoftheaudiencelookuninterested.Thereisnodefinitiverightorwrongattention-grabber,simplybeginwithsomethingthatyouarecomfortablewith,andwhichseemstowork.Hereareafewsuggestions:1.Afunnystory,ifyoufeelabletodeliveronewithhumor.Avoidreligious,sexual,sexistorracistjokes.2.Ashortvideoclip–makesurethatitislessthan60seconds.3.Unusualorinterestingstatisticsaboutyourindustryoraboutyouraudience.Theseshouldbewell-researched.Membersoftheaudiencemayknowmorethanyou.Gettingthestatisticswrongwouldmakeyoulookamateur.4.Ashortanimation.Cartoon-likeshortscanbecreatedeasilywithvariousgraphicdesignprogramsorbyprofessionaldesigners.Alternatively,animationsareavailableonlinereadyforuse.5.Atouchofsuspense.Forexample,walkonwithacardboardboxandplaceitinthemiddleofthestage–butdon’ttellpeoplewhatitistherefor.Thisoptionisprobablybestifitispracticedbeforehandwithatrialaudienceoffriendsorcolleagues.Theywillensurethatyourpropdoesn’tjustconfusepeople.Themiddle——主体，可使用“三原则”Theruleofthreeisagoodtechniqueforthemiddlesectionofapresentation.Theruleofthreeisbasedontheideathatthreeistheoptimumnumberofpointstoformapatternofinformationthatsticksinthememory.Inoratoryitcomesupallthetime.Herearesomeexamples:“Friends,Romans,countrymen”“Thegood,thebadandtheugly”“Blood,sweatandtears”Thinkaboutit–ifthereareonlythreepointsthatyouwouldliketoleavetheaudiencewith,whatwouldtheybe?Thesethreepointsshouldformthemiddleofthepresentation.Allyounowhavetodoistothinkofwaysofillustratingthesepointsandthenyouhavethebulkofthestructureofthepresentation.OtherexamplesofTheruleofthree（上限为三法则）Theruleofthreeisawritingprinciplethatsuggeststhatthingsthatcomeinthreesareinherentlyfunnier,moresatisfying,ormoreeffectivethanothernumbersofthings.Thereaderoraudienceofthisformoftextisalsomorelikelytoconsumeinformationifitiswritteningroupsofthrees.Fromslogans(Go,fight,win!)tofilms,manythingsarestructuredinthrees.ExamplesincludeTheThreeStooges,ThreeLittlePigs,ThreeBillyGoatsGruff,GoldilocksandtheThreeBears,andThreeBlindMice.Aseriesofthreeoftencreatesaprogressioninwhichthetensioniscreated,builtup,andfinallyreleased.Similarly,adjectivesareoftengroupedinthreestoemphasizeanidea.TheLatinphrase,omnetriumperfectum(everythingthatcomesinthreesisperfect,or,everysetofthreeiscomplete)conveysthesameideaastheruleofthree.TheendTheendismoreimportantthanthebeginning.Thisisbecauseoftherecencyfactor–putsimply,peoplearelikelytorememberthelastthingtheyaretoldmuchmorethanthepointsmadeearlierinapresentation.Thisparticularlyappliestolists.Soagoodendingtothepresentationisessential.Thereareanumberoftechniquesthatcanworkwell,buttheyshouldlinkintothemainstructureofthepresentation.Relatingtheendbacktothebeginningcanbeeffective.Ifyouopenedwithafunnystory,remindtheaudienceofthepunch-line（妙语）andthepointyousoughttoillustrateintellingit.Ifyoubroughtanunusualobjectonstagetocreatesuspense,thentelltheaudiencewhyitisthere.Ifyouarereallystrugglingforideasandwanttoplayitsafe,youcouldsimplyrecapthethreemainconceptsthatyouputforwardinthemiddlesection.Inmanybusinesssettingsapresentationendingwouldalsobenefitfromacalltoaction.Telltheaudiencewheretheycanfindoutmoreaboutyouoryourbusiness.Offercontactdetailssothatanyonewithaquestionorenquirycaneasilygetintouch.Iftheaudiencehasenjoyedyourstory,theymaywellwanttohearmore.ruleofthree（上限为三法则）PresentationSkills3.TheRuleofThreeThisisoneoftheoldestofallthepresentationtechniques–knownaboutsincethetimeofAristotle.Peopletendtorememberlistsofthreethings.Structureyourpresentationaroundthreesanditwillbecomemorememorable.TheRuleofThree–Werememberthreethings.Theruleofthreeisoneoftheoldestinthebook–AristotlewroteaboutitinhisbookRhetoric.Putsimplyitisthatpeopletendtoeasilyrememberthreethings.Rememberasakidwhenyourmumsentyoudowntotheshoptobuyanumberofthings.Butwhenyougottotheshopallyoucouldrememberwerethreethings.ThisistheruleofthreeOddsarethatpeoplewillonlyrememberthreethingsfromyourpresentationWhatwilltheybe?1.Theaudiencearelikelytorememberonlythreethingsfromyourpresentation–planinadvancewhatthesewil