This document provides an overview of the key elements of great presentations: 1) Hook the audience with something that subverts expectations or poses an unresolved question. 2) Understand your audience thoroughly to educate them and bring them along. 3) Tell a story using common story structures to inspire or inform the audience. 4) Introduce conflict within the story to keep the audience engaged.

1. A periodic table of the elements in a great presentation

2. 300m PowerPoint presentations per day (in 2017!)
82% people couldn’t remember seeing a good
presentation in the last week. (2018)
How can you make yours stand out?

3. The Elements of Great Presentations
You can (and should) avoid
making your slides a murder
weapon.
There IS a science to this.

4. The “periodic table” of great presentations
Hook
Audience
Story Conflict Visuals
Numbers
Interaction Actions

5. Hook
Attention is scarce in today’s world.
Start with a ‘hook’ or ‘headline’ that:
• Subverts expectations (or)
• Creates urgency
• Poses an unresolved question
Journalists/ advertisers are masters of this art – take a cue!

7. Audience
Know your audience.Thoroughly.
What context do they already have on your topic?
• Should you educate before persuading?
What views/perceptions do they share with you?Where do they differ?
• Can you bring them along on your journey?
What emotions do they hold on your subject?
• Can you evoke the ones you desire?

8. The key: Get your audience to come along with you!
With the help of the next element

9. Story
If you take one thing away from this presentation it is this
“Humans are hard-wired to listen to stories.”
Whether you’re inspiring or informing, do it with a story.
Learn from the movies: most stories share common structures.

10. Illustration Courtesy: (Gavin McMahon) Presentation-Guru.com

11. Illustration Courtesy: (Gavin McMahon) Presentation-Guru.com

12. Recommended reading:
• Structure:The Hidden Framework that hangs your story together
• Story Structures
Whatever structure you choose, ensure your story has…

13. Conflict
The Hook drew your audience’s attention. Conflict keeps it.
As you tell the story, introduce the conflict
• The world today vsWhat it can be
• What’s broken vs How it can be fixed
• A vs B – who/ what will win?
Remember how stories end: resolve the conflict.

14. Visuals
One of the rarer elements of the periodic table.
A hook & a gripping story will often make your presentations stand
out.
But visuals are extremely important.

15. Infographic courtesy of https://visual.ly/community/infographic/business/picture-infographic

16. Pay attention to color, type, and spacing.
Find visuals that emphasize your message
• A dissonant visual distracts more than it helps.
Find visuals suited to your theme and purpose:
• Informing? Line drawings/ infographics might work better
• Inspiring? High-quality photographs might work better
Top tips

17. Numbers
Numbers & statistics lend credibility.
Used well, one graph could set the context a 100 anecdotes can.
Make sure to interpret your numbers explicitly
• Or they can be even more distracting than a photograph

18. BAD GOOD
Infographic courtesy of https://www.presentation-process.com/presentation-of-data.html

19. Interaction
It’s inevitable you’ll
lose some of your
audience during your
presentation.
Some interactivity can
bring their attention
back.

20. Common interaction patterns
• Animations & transitions
• Quizzes
• Q&A
Some presentations also include video, but I think video encourages
further passivity.

21. Action
When your story (bolstered with visuals & numbers) ends…
…your presentation does not.
Spell out the action the audience must take:
• A comment or some feedback?
• An investment of time or resources?

22. Actions for this presentation
Clap (or) Like …if you liked this.
Comment! …if you have your own tips, tricks or
thoughts.

23. Remember…

24. Reach out!