HOW TO STAND OUT FROM OTHER PRESENTATIONS FOUR BASICS STEPS

Have you ever thought about why TED Talks are so powerful and admired? Why are they so effective and have had a tremendous influence on the world? They work passionately to spread their ideas and lead people to action.

To create a good story and stand out from other presentations requires determination, commitment, and hard work to capture people’s attention.

BASIC STEPS

• Create a strategy and plan your presentation

• Build your story

• Practice

• Engage and deliver

To meet your presentation goal, you need to be prepared and clear on the story you want to tell. But remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Work hard, develop the right skills, make your presentation engaging, enjoyable and, why not, fun.

In TED Talks, it is equally important what you say and how you say it. They invest a great deal of time and energy working on the content. Once they choose a subject, they focus on their nonverbal just as much as their verbal.

Body language plays a central role during the presentations and how the speaker is perceived: hands, tone of voice, eye contact, business clothing.

The structure is very relevant when you are working on your story arc. Did you know that you have just 7 seconds to capture the attention of your audience? Look for a wonderful introduction and establish a powerful statement, then explain what the current situation is.

Once you have established your main idea, develop your story. Contrast the current situation against the potential one you are proposing. Convince your audience about the importance of your proposition and why everybody needs to get on board. If the topics allow it, interact with your audience, show them your idea, surprise them.

In your closing, conclude by describing the new and better world and call to action to inspire people.

Likewise, the story timing is crucial. Time forces speakers to be very concise and straightforward. Also, it is good to integrate into your story personal experiences, speakers who tell stories, catch the audience’s imagination and attention.

If you are developing a technical presentation, make it relatable to almost anyone, know your audience, use analogies, illustrate your main ideas on graphics use visuals to inspire.

And finally, practice makes perfect, so rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. If you practice your presentation, you will deliver successfully.

We recommend you videotape yourself. Pay attention to the details you need to improve, not only in the story arc but in the content of the slides and your body language.

During the rehearsal, emphasize different words, slowing and speeding up your pace and varying your volume on relevant points.

Even though presentations can still be a challenge, with the correct structure, preparation, slides, and practice, you can turn your big ideas into a powerful message, making it engaging, memorable, and successful.