Master Your Next Presentation
Learn From Two Brothers' TEDx Experience on Effective Speaking (two very different approaches)
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My brother and I recently gave a joint TEDx talk (that’s a TEDx talk where we both presented, not one about joints). One of the things we noticed leading up to the event was how vastly different our process was for preparing for a presentation.
Dave, a professor of communication and “Entertainer persona” prefers to work from an outline, do a few run-throughs, and then leverage his charisma to help him deliver an engaging talk.
I, a keynote speaker, stand-up comedian, and engineer, have a 10-step process I follow every. single. time.
I wish I could tell you that my style is definitively better - in fairness, it has led to a career as a professional speaker, a TEDx talk with millions of views, and the opportunity to present to some great organizations like NASA, Microsoft, and the International Association of Canine Professionals - but I digress…
At the same time, Professor Dave is also paid to speak (as a keynote speaker AND professor) and he has also worked with some impressive organizations (the UN, the FBI, and Gorilla Glue). But he’s also paid to teach and grade humans on public speaking… so you could argue that he knows what works better for the majority.
Don’t tell him I said this, but he maybe, probably, definitely, is the better resource.
The truth is, most people don’t have the luxury to prepare the way I do. I typically only give one of three talks, and each is roughly 80% the same from client to client (with 20% customization for the event, audience, time of day, etc).
That’s a benefit to the client: they know they’re getting a polished presentation that is both entertaining and effective. I mean, if you buy tickets to see Taylor Swift, do you want to hear her newest album / greatest hits or a song she put together on the way to the gig?
If you’re wondering if I just compared myself to T Swift, Guilty as Sin.
Giving the same keynote means I have far less to memorize, which means I can spend a lot more time tweaking and refining, and any extra effort I put into prepping for one talk usually pays dividends for future talks as well. For example, the 50+ hours we put into preparing for the most recent TEDx talk is already improving the keynotes I’ve delivered since then.
Unless you’re a keynote speaker, a salesperson, or constantly presenting to people with short-term memory loss, you may not need to give the same presentation over and over (and over) again. This is why I’ve asked Dave to help me write this post, he gives a different lecture every single class, only repeating (sometimes) semester to semester.
Together we make a sweet presenting machine, if I can say so myself 😎
So, if you have a really important talk coming up, one that could make or break your career or is one you’re going to give many times over, our 10-step process is a great thing to follow (and you can find it in our free workshop here).
However, if your presentation is a bit more casual, or you don’t have much time to prepare, Dave’s process is a great way to go (once again, don’t tell him I said that).
So what does the prof say?
Here is his 5-step process for (quickly) prepping for a presentation:
Step 1: Write an outline.
Rather than writing a script of exactly what you want to say, create an outline for the main parts of your talk. And if you’re worried about how to start, you don’t have to start this outline from scratch. There are a few key structures Dave likes to use depending on the goal of his talk:
If you want to influence someone, follow Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.
If you want to sell something, follow Problem-Cause-Solution.
If you want to explain something, follow Cause and Effect.
Whichever outline you choose, one thing he strongly advises is that you have no more than 3 key points in your message (unless the presentation is for video, then you can go higher but usually not above 5 key points).
Step 2: Practice each part of the presentation.
Next, as you are prepping for the presentation, practice each section separately (the thesis, point #1, conclusion, etc).
As you are practicing the sections, the goal is not to memorize any specific sequence of words - that’s called “rote memorization” and it’s the ‘rong thing to do. The goal, instead, is to make sure you internalize the message you’re trying to get across at each part. This allows you to be extemporaneous during your delivery because it’s also how you practiced.
Special Note: Work on the Introduction Last
Only once you have a good understanding of the flow and message of the talk, can you write a compelling introduction. What you say at the beginning is so critically important for both capturing people’s attention and getting them in the right mindset for what they are about to hear.
It’s great to start with some type of attention getter. It could be a warm open (where you’re conversational with the audience), or for bigger presentations, a cold open (where you go directly into something).
Whatever you do, please please please don’t find some random joke on the internet that has nothing to do with your topic. The intro should connect to the thesis of your talk, which you can share at the end of the intro as a single sentence that sums up the entire focus of the presentation they are about to hear
Bonus tip: Stories make great attention-getters as they can be engaging, funny, and tie directly into your thesis.
Step 3: Create any visual aids.
After you have a good understanding of your message, you can create your visual aids. These are typically PowerPoint slides, but they could also be Prezi presentations, drawings on white boards, props, or maybe even a graph on one of those old-school overhead projectors.
Notice that these are done very late in the process. That’s because slides should enhance your presentation, not be the presentation.
If you’re just going to stand there and read slides to people, send it to them via email and skip the presentation entirely. I would have saved a ton of time in my first job if this was the rule…
Step 4: Practice the whole thing together.
Next up is to do a few run-throughs of the presentation in full, while practicing with the slides as well. Assume that you WON’T have access to the speaker notes and focus on delivering an engaging presentation each time (not on getting everything “perfect.”)
You can also start to think about things like blocking. Where are you going to stand at different points in the talk, are there any act-outs or physicalizations that you want to add? The more you can practice this in a similar environment to how you’ll be presenting, the better.
Step 5: Deliver the presentation.
Once you’ve done a few run-throughs, it’s time to deliver the presentation. If you struggle with nerves, three things can help:
Focus on the audience. If you’re caught up with how you look, you forget that the point of the presentation is to be in service to them.
Get into “character.” Imagine you’re an actor who is getting into character. The character just happens to be a version of you that is very confident and an excellent public speaker.
Have fun. If you’re having fun while presenting, you drastically increase the chances that your audience will to.
With those tips in mind, you can go out and crush it.
There’s (obviously) a bit more that goes into consistently knocking presentations out of the park, but these steps are a great starting point that can get you on the right path quickly.
Have other questions about public speaking? Let me know so I can ask Professor Dave to help us all out. And if you missed our Speak Like a Pro session, you can catch the livestream here.
Whether you’re a meticulous planner like me or prefer the more extemporaneous approach with charm like Professor Dave, there's more than one way to captivate an audience. After all, diversity is the spice of life—and presentations!
Just remember, if you're struggling to decide between our methods, you can always blend them and hope for the best. And if the crowd doesn't react as expected, just blame it on the other brother!
(an)drew
Now it’s your turn:
Do you have any presentations coming up? What’s the topic? If you need help, I offer speaking coaching, and so does Dave, just let us know.
Are you a speaker? What’s your favorite speaking tip?