The most important part of your presentation is p1 (the story). A presentation is not simply a list of facts: it is your personal interpretation of those facts for the benefit of this specific audience. The challenge for most presenters is construction of this story as something other than a list of facts. To do this we should use sparklines.
Sparklines are a concept described by world renowned presentation expert Nancy Duarte in her book “Resonate” . She so strongly believes in the value of her book that it there is a FREE multimedia version available online too. The sparklines describe the sections within a talk that work together to power the talk to its conclusion. It is not simply “three points” beloved by preachers and lectures but three mini-stories or dramas or points of opposition to your goal that are worked through to lead the audience to the destination you have signposted at the introduction to your piece.
Nancy explains it better than I could in this video that you can view on Vimeo:
It is important for speakers to appreciate that beyond listing facts there are constructions that will aid you in the formulation of a great talk. Describing and then formulating your sparklines will both engage the audience and drive the message.
