In Nancy Duarte’s TED Talk, Duarte argues that the way an idea is presented could be the determining factor for if the idea is accepted. Duarte points out a presentation structure that common speeches, like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, follow. This structure starts out with ‘what is’ and moves back and forth from this to ‘what could be’ until the end of the presentation where the ‘new bliss’ or ‘new norm’ is recognized. Through this presentation structure, the pros of the new idea are clearly stated, and the ‘call to action’ at the end will clearly show what would happen if the idea is accepted.
Nancy Duarte also recognizes that the element of story telling is another effective presentation tool. She points out that the audience has a physical reaction from the telling of a story as it speaks to their heart. Using a story approach can really capture the audience.
In a second video, Five Simple Rules for Creating World Changing Presentations, Duarte gives guidelines to help your presentations be presented effectively:
- Treat audience like kings and queens – meet their needs
- Spread ideas and move people – convey meaning
- Help them SEE what you’re saying
- Practice design, not decoration
- Cultivate healthy relationships
Using these five rules will help presenters hold their audiences attention and help get their ideas accepted.