Notes from the talk How to Give a Good Technical Presentation.

The Three Magic Ingredients

1. Audience

Tailor your presentation and make it special for them.

2. The Speaker

Put something about yourself in there. When you share, the audience cares.

3. Transformation

It does not work to only inform the audience. The goal is to change something about what the audience believes, what they feel, and what they do.

The Audience Transformation Roadmap

Ask yourself four questions about the audience before your presentation:

  1. What do they know?
  2. What do they believe? (e.g., “I believe it is time for dinner.”)
  3. What do they feel? (e.g., “I feel hungry.”)
  4. What do they do?

Then ask the same four questions in reverse order for after the presentation:

  1. What do they do after the presentation?
  2. What do they feel after the presentation?
  3. What do they believe after the presentation?
  4. What do they know after the presentation?

Roadmap Example

Before the Presentation

Dimension Audience State
Know Most talks fail
Believe Presentations are just about delivering information
Feel Bored, resigned
Do Aim to inform; will not personalize to audiences

After the Presentation

Dimension Audience State
Do Aim to transform, personalize talks, use roadmaps
Feel Curious, motivated, optimistic
Believe The roadmap can help me succeed
Know The three magic ingredients; that presentations are bad at information but good at transformation; how to use the roadmap

Transformation Column (Planning What to Include)

Dimension What to Cover
Know The three ingredients (Audience, Speaker, Transformation). People forget what they hear last. Show how the roadmap works. Demo the roadmap with an example.
Believe Show how ideas make a storyline. Most talks fail, and I care about that. Ask who in the audience needs to present.
Feel The roadmap is easy and powerful. Presentations can make a difference and help achieve your objectives. Include a call to action focusing on what the audience needs to do afterward.

Presentation Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Magic Ingredients
  3. Roadmap Demo
  4. Conclusion

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