If the audience only remembers one thing, what should it be? Write it down and stick it on the wall so it's never out of your sight. The more details that you include and the more complex your talk, the more you must be very clear on what it is you want your audience to hear, understand, and remember. Often, talks take people down a path of great detail and loads of information, most of which is completely forgotten (if it was ever understood in the first place) after the talk is finished.

But we must not lose sight of what is really important and what is not. Data and evidence and logical flow are important. What is your key message? What is it you REALLY want people to remember? What action do you want them to take? Details are important. And I hoped that the overall message would resonate and give people something to think about after the talk was finished. For the live talk, my aim was not that the audience would remember each point, but rather that one or two points would stick with each person. This is why I am providing this list in text form as well. The down side of a top-10 style is that it is nearly impossible to remember each point without writing it down. The simple and obvious structure in my TEDxKyoto talk above follows a sort of 'top-10 list.' Any variation of a top-10 list (or countdown, etc.) creates an easy structure for both the presenter and the audience. Most presentations will not follow a classic story structure, but there are many narrative structures such as explanatory narratives, slice of life, and so on. Once you give the presentation the structure will often be invisible to the audience, but it will make all the difference. The structure can be very, very simple, but you need it there to help you build your narrative. The advice may not be new and it may not sounds exciting, but it's true: Know your audience. The message or the lesson must be accessible and useful for your particular audience. Yes, the plot-the events and facts and the order in which they are arranged-may be unique to us, but the theme is universal. If designed and told well, our story is really their story. Ideas and patterns are easier to see when they are up on the wall or spread out on the table.Įven when we are 'telling our story' we are really telling their story. We've got to see the details and subtract and add (but mostly subtract) where needed. You've got to get your idea out of your head and on the wall so you can see it, share it, make it better. Turn off the technology and minimize the distractions. Preparation should be analog at the beginning. Most people open a computer and create an outline. It's not an exhaustive list by any means. The title of the talk is '10 Ways to Make Better Presentations: Lessons from Storytellers.' But as I say early in the presentation, perhaps a better subtitle would be 'Lessons from watching too many Pixar films.' Below the video I list the ten (actually eleven) lessons. A couple of years ago, I was asked back to the TEDxKyoto stage to give a few words regarding tips from storytelling as they relate to modern presentations.

Color zen chapter 4