Structuring Your Presentation Effectively

Get your audiences attention right away with a dynamic opening.

How you begin and end your presentation is especially critical. Get your audiences attention right away with a dynamic opening. Conclude with a call for action in which you clearly indicate what you want from your listeners

Consider the following examples of structure:

Problem and solution. Describe a pressing problem and then solve it by presenting a convincing solution. Use this structure with an uninterested audience or one that is uniformed about he problem.

Presentation of both sides and then refutation. To win over neutral or hostile audiences, argue both sides. First present your opponents’ side, thereby showing that you accept the validity of their position and increasing their receptivity. Then refute their case by challenging their evidence and disproving their arguments.

Cause and effect. Discuss the causes underlying a problem, and then show how your idea will remove those causes. Or emphasize the undesirable effects of a problem, and then explain how your proposal will mitigate those effects. Use this structure for mixed audiences.

Motivational sequence. Capture your audience’s attention with a startling statistic, anecdote, or joke—and then identify a pressing need. Explain how your proposal will satisfy that need, and help listeners visualize the bright future in store if they adopt your proposal. Finally, tell you audience the actions you want them to take. Use this structure for supportive audiences.

ACTION POINT: Make use of the four examples above to make your presentations more effective.