Step-by-Step Process of the Informative Presentation

(17 steps)

1. Analyze the Audience: Who are they, What do they need, What do they expect, How can you give them what they need and expect?
2. Select Your Topic: Chose a topic that will meet the audience’s needs and expectations.
3. Set You Goals: What do you want to audience to be able to know, do, or understand after your presentation. Determine a main idea to meet these goals. Write the main idea in one declarative sentence.
4. Gather Information: Select information you already know and add supporting information from reliable sources, e.g. interviewing experts, books, trade magazines, trade journals, surveys, polls, credible websites, etc. Make you only select information that supports your goals and the main idea of your presentation.
5. Organized Information: Pull like information into categories, work categories down to three categories. Experts say 2-5 categories; however, I suggest 3 because we are a culture of threes and people remember best in groups of threes, e.g. red, white, and blue. responsibility, commitment, and sacrifice. blah, blah, and blah
6. Develop Outline: Organized information into three parts:
   1. Introduction
   2. Body
   3. Conclusion.
   The strategy is repetition. Tell them what you are going to say, tell them, then, tell them what you said.
7. Write Body of Outline first: You must do this first to keep consistent with the strategy of repetition. Of the information you gathered into three categories, write a summary sentence of each category. Double check to make sure these three summary sentences support your main idea sentence. These three summary sentences will each become your main points in the body of your outline. All the information in the categories will become your support information. Now write out information in outline form e.g. use the following symbols: Roman Numerals are for your main points, capital letters are for sub points (their only job is to support the main point), numerals for sub-sub points (their only job is to support the sub points), and small letters for sub-sub-sub points (their only job is to support sub-sub points), etc.
8. Write Introduction: This is easy because it is mostly done. First prepare and attention getter. It is something that sparks the audience’s curiosity and gets them to sit up and think, “this sounds good, tell me more.” You can use a story, a poem, music lyrics, video, picture, example, statistic, questions and answer, rhetorical questions, etc. If your credibility wasn’t provided in your introduction, provide it now. Credibility is the answer to the audience’s question, “why should you listen to you?” Then, orient your audience to what you will be speaking about by stating your main idea and listing your main points of the body (you already wrote these in your goals and body of this process). It is good to count off your main points for the audience too e.g. “we’ll explore three things, first…second…and third.
9. Write Conclusion: This is also easy because it is mostly done. Simply restate your main points in the order you presented them. You can also count them off. I suggest you give an example of each point too. An example would be any of your sub points. Then write a clinching statement. Tie in to your attention getter or your main idea. You can use a story, a poem, music lyrics, video, picture, example, statistic, etc.
10. Develop Formal Outline: Convert your points and sub-points into full sentences. This will help you with articulation later while delivering your presentation. Then add transitions between Introduction and Body, between Body and Conclusion, and between each of the main points. Transitions are simply a way to move from point to point e.g. “now for my first point…,” “moving on to my 2nd point…,”  “I talked about—say the text of your first point—and—say the text of your second point—I will move on to my third and final point.”  Personally, I make it my rule to say “third and final point” because if anyone is starting to doze, they hear “final point” and that energizes them because the think, “Final point? Good, I can listen to one more point.”
11. Prepare Visual Aids: discussed in Visual Aids: Dazzling or Destructive?
12. Prepare Note Cards: discussed in Informative Presentation Tips
13. Practice
14. Practice
15. Practice
16. Practice
17. Practice: We can't emphasize enough the importance of practice.

Step-by-Step Process of Writing a Persuasive Presentation

(12 steps)

1. Analyze the Audience:What is the audience’s disposition to your proposition? What motivates them? Who are they; What do they need; What do they expect; How can you give them what they need and expect?
2. Set You Goals: Determine exactly and clearly what action you want the audience to take after your presentation? Determine a main idea to meet these goals (your proposition). Write your proposition in one declarative sentence.
3. Gather Information:Select information you already know and add supporting information from reliable sources, e.g. interviewing experts, books, trade magazines, trade journals, surveys, polls, credible websites, etc. Make sure you only select information that supports your goals and the main idea of your presentation
4. Organize Your Information Into A Persuasive Pattern: Several choices of patterns exist: problem/solution, comparative advantages, refutation, cause and effect, etc. Use what works best for your needs; however, the following is comprehensive The Mattson Version of the Motivated Sequence.
   1. Get the audience attention: Use a stories, statistics, pictures, film/video/dvd clips, facts, examples, activity, etc.
   2. Problem/Need: Uncover the problem or need of the audience. Make sure it’s the audience’s problem or need—not yours or someone else’s. Research shows that it is difficult to convince/persuade an audience if they don’t perceive a problem or need that affects them.
   3. Solution/Satisfaction: Tell the audience specifically and clearly what you want the audience to do e.g. Eat at Joe’s. Buy this life insurance policy. Join this gym. Go on this diet. Get a fish tank. Etc. Then give features and benefits of doing so.
   4. Reservation/Refutation: Prepare yourself in advance for any reasons why the audience might not want to do what you are asking. Address these concerns. If they are false concerns, say so and why. If they are legitimate concerns, admit it.
   5. Visualization/Emotion: Paint a mental picture, or show them. Get the audience to see, taste, hear, smell, feel, experience, how life would be if they agree to your solution. You can tell them all the pleasure they will experience if they do your solution, or all the pain they will suffer if they don’t take your solution, or both.
   6. Action: Ask them to make a commitment to your solution today. The best is to have the solution with you now, and the audience can solve their problem or need right there. You can get a commitment in writing, orally, or “by a show of hands” too. Research shows most people think of themselves as consistent with doing what they say, if not it causes disharmony (cognitive dissonance). And there are only three ways to get back into harmony: One, follow up on their commitment. Two, change their perception of themselves. Three, make themselves forget they ever made the commitment. Most chose the first choice.
   7. The Magic Formula: In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie tells us about the Magic Formula. It really isn’t unique as it has been used since the ancient philosophers. However, Carnegie coined an interesting and catchy term. It goes back to the notion of finding a benefit for the audience. Use it, it is powerful. It goes like this: I urge you to (whatever action you want the audience to do) because if you do, you will (tell the audience the most meaningful benefit they will enjoy). Then, tell them exactly and clearly how to get it or do it. One key element here, you must be very clear what you want the audience to do. Vagueness will nullify all your efforts e.g. “sign this petition for gun control” vs. “let’s commit to doing something about gun control.” Do you see the difference?
5. Develop Formal Outline: Convert your points and sub-points into full sentences. This will help you with articulation later while delivering your presentation.
6. Prepare Visual Aids: discussed in Visual Aids: Dazzling or Destructive?
7. Prepare Note Cards: discussed in Informative Presentation Tips
8. Practice
9. Practice
10. Practice
11. Practice
12. Practice: We can't emphasize enough the importance of practice.

Do you see the power of a well researched, organized and prepared structure in persuading?

I remember years ago when I had this “aha” moment and finally figured out a clear and concise approach on how to effectively sell. I read many books, talked with many seasoned pros, and attended seminars and workshops. I thought I boiled it all down into three simple concepts (I thought I figure this out on my own).

Passion, conviction, and logic is all that is needed to sell. It turns out that Aristotle discovered the same thing centuries ago; however, he used the terms ethos, pathos, and logos!

Always Prepare and Organize with the Audience in Mind—Speak From Your Heart; then, You Will Never Go Wrong. –Rod Mattson.