Tips for Crafting Impactful Presentations

After decades of working with leaders at companies like Apple, Salesforce, and Cisco, we've identified 4 storytelling techniques that consistently work to deliver important messages in high-stakes settings: 1. Start with the unexpected Don’t begin your presentation with context. Instead, begin with the moment that makes people think, “Wait…what?” Instead of something like: “Here’s an update on our September campaign…” Try starting with the most interesting detail: “I broke our biggest marketing rule last month, and it worked.” Lead with the surprise. You can add context later. 2. Let people feel the tension After the surprise, don’t rewind to the beginning. Take your audience to the moment where things weren’t working. Flat numbers. Missed goals. Stalled progress. Instead of: “The campaign was underperforming, and our team went back to the drawing board.” Try:  "We were two weeks out from the end of the quarter. The campaign wasn’t producing results, and the team was out of ideas. That’s when I decided to take a risk...” You don’t need to explain the problem. You need to make people feel it. 3. Use real dialogue When your audience hears what was actually said, they stop listening to you and start visualizing the moment. This helps them connect emotionally with what you’re saying. Instead of: “The campaign manager said team morale was low and they were struggling to find a solution.” Try: “My campaign manager pulled me aside in the hallway and said, ‘We’ve tried everything. The team has been working overtime, and we don’t know what else to do.’” Dialogue brings listeners into the moment with you. It makes the story real. 4. Share the lesson Never assume people will infer the meaning you intended. End your story by answering: - What does this mean? - How should someone act differently now? Example: “Breaking our biggest marketing rule helped us turn this campaign around and hit our numbers. I strongly suggest we revisit our marketing guidelines. We could be leaving a ton of revenue on the table.” Without the lesson being clear, even a good story feels unfinished. These are the same techniques we teach to our clients at Duarte. Try them out during your next presentation and watch how people lean forward and tune in to your message. #ExecutivePresence #BusinessStorytelling #PresentationSkills

One great presentation can do what multiple applications can't. Over the years, my presentations have earned awards, speaking invitations, and opportunities I never applied for. Most recently, at MAA MathFest 2024, someone from the audience approached me and said: "Your talk was so engaging. You made such a complex topic accessible." On the spot, he invited me to speak to high school students in Chicago. Full expenses paid + speaker fee. Here is the framework I use every single time... (You might want to save this.) 1. Know your audience before you make a single slide → Kids? Public? Policy makers? Academics? → Your job is to design your talk to suit them. → Picture one person in the audience, let's call them "Bola." 2. Map out the entire talk first → Write the takeaway from each slide in one sentence. → Connect each slide logically to the next. → Ask yourself: Will Bola digest this information? 3. Ditch the jargon → Would Bola understand this? → If not, go back to the drawing board. → Use simple, plain English. 4. Make it visual → One message per slide. Big font. Bullet points. → Use visuals or illustrations instead of text (if possible.)  → The moment your audience starts reading your slides, you've lost them. 5. Practice as you build each slide → After creating each slide, ask: What will I say here? → This reveals what to add, remove, or fix as you go. → Once done, practice the full presentation again. 6. Never read off your slides during delivery → Deliver like you're telling a story. → Everything on screen is just supporting visuals. → Know your slides inside out. Keep eye contact. 7. Use your body language intentionally → Don't stare at the ceiling, ground, or stand frozen. → Your movement and energy speak louder than words. → This automatically communicates confidence and authority. Great presentations aren’t about showing how smart you are. They’re about making your audience feel something... curiosity, clarity, and inspiration. That’s what makes you memorable. And that’s what opens doors. --- PS: What's ONE thing that's helped you improve your presentations? PPS: Want to see this framework in action? Link to the Chicago talk is in the comments. ♻️ REPOST if this was useful. Thanks!

Do you know how long speakers are expected to prepare before they get onto stage to deliver a 15 min TED talk? 300 hours, or up to a year! Why? Because unlike delivering a presentation to your compliance head, delivering a memorable talk is not about covering your bases. It's about what you leave out more than what you bring in. And, like any podcast editor will tell you, cutting is way harder than keeping! One of the presentations at the Singapore FinTech Festival was about what it takes to deliver a great TED talk. Here are the tips, direct from experts Navin Suri and Vivian Lim: 1. It's not about the big idea, it's about the small one: the pivotal moment, the epiphany, the make-or-break period, the insight that leads to a different perspective. That's where the context, the drama and the actual learning lies 2. It's now about what, but about how: Your achievement may be impressive, but people don't care. They want to know how to make it happen for themselves - the decision points, the methods, the challenges 3. It's not about facts, it's about emotion: What can you say that communicates the passion and the emotion of the story? What will speak not to the brain but to the soul? 4. It's not about polish, it's about discomfort: Make it personal, share something that reveals an unvarnished version of you, be vulnerable 5. It's as much about the title as it is about the talk: Spend an unreasonable amount of time on the title, and do it early in your writing process. The challenge? Capture the core theme of your talk in no more than 6 words 6. Don't begin with the beginning of the story, begin with a hook: Start your talk with something that catches attention - a confession, a far-out opinion, a weird question 7. It's not about what you say, but what you don't: Use the title as the theme of your talk. Cut out everything that doesn't exactly fit the theme. Then cut some more. A 10 min talk is 1,300 words. You're more likely to have around 3,000 when you write your first draft. Cut it to 1,500, then cut again to 750. This is the actual v1 8. It's not about great slides, it's about YOUR slides: Use personal photos and videos, not polished stock photos 9. It's not about writing, it's about speaking: Writing a great script is fine. Memorising it is good. But you need to rehearse the entire talk out loud many times. Once alone in front of a mirror, once in front of your family, once in front of a larger group of friends or colleagues and then as many times as possible in public, before you get onto a TED stage. 10. It's also about how you look: And finally, your preparation isn't complete till you put thought into how you dress. What you wear should complement what you say and make it more memorable. A TED talk is expected to be treated like a gift, not a presentation. You're not communicating information, you're gifting potentially millions of people an experience, a memory. Is that not worth 300 hours?

Everyone says "engage your audience" when you're speaking on stage. But nobody really tells you how to own that stage and make it yours. As someone who used to shake before every presentation, I've learned a few things the hard way. Things that turned that fear into something I could actually use. Here it is. Save this for your next presentation 👇🏻 1/ Ride on Shared Narratives → Find common ground fast. People don't connect with perfection. They connect with "me too" moments. 👉🏻 I like to open with a story about struggling with something my audience faces too. 👉🏻 Like feeling invisible in a crowded room or doubting whether anyone's listening. 2/ Keep the Energy Up → Your energy sets the room's energy. If you're flat, they're flat. If you're alive, they lean in. 👉🏻 I move around the stage, vary my tone, and throw in pauses. 👉🏻 It keeps people awake and engaged, even in long sessions. 3/ Speak with Them Before You Speak to Them → A little interaction beforehand goes a long way. I used to hide backstage. Now I walk the room early. 👉🏻 Before I present, I chat with a few people in the audience, ask about their day, their challenges. 👉🏻 So when I'm on stage, I'm speaking to familiar faces. 4/ Don't Skimp on Preparation → Being prepared is your best defense against nerves. I used to wing it. I paid for it every time. 👉🏻 I rehearse my opening and closing until I can say them in my sleep. 👉🏻 It gives me confidence even when my mind goes blank mid-speech. 5/ Learn Their World, Speak Their Language → Tailor your message to resonate. Generic talks don't land. Personalized ones do. 👉🏻 When I speak to financial advisors versus tech founders, I adjust my examples and references to match their daily reality. 👉🏻 Never use a one-size-fits-all script. 6/ Use Your Stories → Personal stories make your message unforgettable. Facts inform. Stories transform. 👉🏻 Instead of listing my credentials, I share how a kid who got bullied and avoided stages now trains leaders across Asia. 👉🏻 Story sticks more than any resume. 7/ Mirror What You Want to See → Project the confidence you want your audience to feel. If you're uncertain, they'll be uncertain. If you're grounded, they'll trust you. 👉🏻 If I want my audience to feel calm and confident, I start by being calm and confident myself 👉🏻 Even if I'm nervous inside. I'm not a natural speaker. I'm someone who learned through repetition, failure, and intention. If you apply even one of these, you'll already be ahead of most people on stage. You don't need perfect English. You don't need years of experience. You just need presence, preparation, and a message that matters. So. what strategy helps you most before speaking on stage? Let's learn from each other 💬 💪 Follow me for personal brand and growth insights. #publicspeaking #professionalgrowth #coaching #careerdevelopment #financialadvisor

Most presentations are built completely backwards. You open your slide deck and start piecing something together that sounds close enough to a comprehensible narrative. You take shortcuts because you know there will be a prompter or you can read your notes on the virtual call. But, If you want to be persuasive, if you want your team to feel part of something bigger than themselves, you need to put your slides down and start designing an experience. This takes time, thought, and actual care. Not last-minute and rushed formatting energy. Here are four shifts I want you to try: 👉 ONE: Put your slides away. Close the deck. Yes, really. Slides are support. They are not strategy. They are not meaning. When you start with visuals, you start decorating before you know what the room actually needs. You end up solving layout problems instead of communication problems. 👉 TWO: Get clear. Why this talk. Why now. Why these people. 👉 THREE: Design for the person with the least context in the room. Your audience is never one type of human. You have different learners. You have experts. You have new people. You have customers. You have folks who are pretending to understand and hoping no one calls on them. Ask yourself, who in this room has the least background on this topic, and how is this landing for them? This is not about watering anything down. It is about being concise and intentional. It is about cutting the extra language, the internal shorthand, the industry speak that makes you sound smart but leaves half the room behind. When you do this well, the experts still feel respected and everyone else can actually track with you. That is how trust gets built. 👉 FOUR: And this is a biggy, get your audience involved in the content! Not just emotionally. Actually involved. Yes, people should see themselves in your stories. That is step one. Step two is participation. Are you asking real questions or just talking at them? Are they turning to each other at any point? Are they thinking, choosing, reacting? Are you showing something in action instead of explaining it to death? Engagement is not just being charismatic at the front of the room. It is shared experience. When people do something with you, even something small, the message lands in their body, not just their notes. A presentation is not a slide deck with a human attached. It is a live moment with actual people. Treat it like that, and your talks stop feeling like information and start feeling like something worth being in the room for. Nobody want to be talked at anymore. People want community. What are you doing to build this? #publicspeaking #meaning #leadership #presentations #engagement

🎤 "From stage fright to spotlight: How I went from bombing my first speech to coaching clients for their keynotes. My 3-week formula for presentation success..." As someone who has delivered countless presentations, I've developed a 3-week formula for conference success. Let me walk you through my process and share some insights I've gained along the way. 3️⃣ Weeks Out: • Outline key points - I identify 3-5 core messages I want the audience to remember • Create an inspiring mood board 🖼️ - This helps me visualize the presentation's tone and style. This also provides me with inspiration. 2️⃣ Weeks Out: • Craft presentation draft - I focus on creating a coherent narrative flow • I aim for 1 slide per 3 minutes of allocated time - This ensures I don't overwhelm the audience with information and also allows me to read the room if certain topics create more engagement • Weave in a compelling narrative arc - I use storytelling techniques to engage listeners. Villains, Heroes, Fairy Tale Endings! 1️⃣ Week Out: • Polish transitions - Smooth segues between topics to maintain audience attention and keep the presentation from feeling choppy • Perfect timing ⏱️ - I practice with a timer to ensure I respect the allotted time slot 2️⃣ Days Before: • Full run-through with notes 📝 - This helps identify any weak spots in the presentation and ensures I have notes for a fallback 1️⃣ Day Before: • Practice without notes - This builds confidence and improves natural delivery • Familiarize myself with the venue - Understanding the space helps me plan my stage presence ⏰ Day Of: • Don't overprepare the day of - you got this and last-minute changes can trip you up • Nail the first 30 seconds - A strong opening sets the tone for the entire talk • Smile and get comfortable on stage 😊 - Positive body language helps connect with the audience ✅ Pro Tips: 1. Use bullet points, not complete scripts. This keeps delivery natural and engaging. I've found memorizing word-for-word can lead to stilted delivery if I lose my place. 2. Be authentically you. Your unique perspective is your superpower on stage. Audiences respond to genuine speakers who share personal insights. 3. Incorporate audience interaction. I like to include a brief Q&A session or a quick poll by hand to keep listeners actively engaged. 4. Leverage the power of pause. Strategic silences can emphasize key points and give the audience time to absorb information. 5. Prepare for tech issues. I always assume the presentation won't work and I will just have to speak to it as a worst-case scenario. 6. Connect with other speakers. Networking at conferences can lead to valuable collaborations and future opportunities. Remember, public speaking is a skill that improves with practice. Each presentation is an opportunity to refine your technique and connect with your audience in meaningful ways. #PublicSpeaking #PresentationSkills #ConferenceTips #ProfessionalDevelopment #SpeakerPrep #StagePresence

I tested many presentation tactics. 4 of them work great. But one is on a completely different level. For years, I’ve been obsessed with one thing: How do you keep a room awake when they’re tired and already thinking about dinner? Here’s what worked for me across different audiences: 1. Ask a question Easy participation. Instant focus. 2. Make a joke Positive emotions. Lower tension. People open up. 3. Create a simple challenge Now they’re hunting for an answer instead of checking their phone. 4. Tell a story They start visualizing. They step into your world. And from all 4, storytelling is way ahead... Not because people always recognize the situation. Sometimes they’ve never been anywhere near it. But they recognize the emotion you felt! We’re all driven by a small set of basic emotions. Curiosity. Fear. Pride. Shame. Hope. Relief. When people feel those emotions inside a story, something magical happens in our brains. It wires and starts to pay attention. 🧠 Here’s what I do to make stories land in presentations: 1. Optimize for 5th grade Even if the room is brilliant, you don’t know how tired they are. Simple words. Short sentences. One idea at a time. 2. Set the stage with YOUR story “I walked into this meeting and realized…” is instantly stronger than “A friend of mine once…” 3. Build toward a 5-second realization This is the most important part. A good story builds to one clear moment of truth. You saw the problem differently. Then something clicked. Pause. Don’t be afraid of a little awkward silence... Let it land. 4. Make sure there's a change after the realization If nothing changes, there’s no momentum. What did you do next? What did you stop doing? 5. End with a resolution people can repeat What was the consequence of that change? What did it unlock? If they can’t summarize it, they won't remember. P.S. Don’t memorize the whole presentation. Memorize only the opening and the ending. The rest should flow naturally. P.P.S. Tell it like you’re at a 4-person dinner table. If it wouldn’t feel natural there, it won’t feel natural on stage either. #storytelling #presentations #speech #PublicSpeaking

Want your audience to remember nearly 6x more of your presentation? Then start leveraging a cognitive science principle called the Picture Superiority Effect. If people only hear information, recall hovers around 10% in 14 days. But if they both hear and see a compelling visual, recall jumps to 65%. That's a 550% increase! Why? Because of Dual Coding. Your brain stores information in two channels: auditory and visual. When both fire together, memory strengthens. You are not just telling… you are encoding. That is why in the LOUD & CLEAR framework from my book "Silver Goldfish," we share that visualization is not decoration. It is communication. Yesterday, outside Philadelphia, I led a presentation skills workshop for IKEA. Talk about preaching to the choir. Their catalogs and internal decks are masterclasses in visual storytelling. Big images. Clear focus. Minimal words. They understand that images move the message. So, here are two rules to apply immediately in your presentations: 1. Use powerful images. Emotion drives attention. Attention drives recall. 2. Make the image the entire slide. No clutter. No bullets. One idea. One visual. Lagniappe Tip: Use the Rule of Thirds Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid with two vertical and two horizontal lines over your slide. Where the lines cross each other creates four intersection points (aka the "Powerpoints"). Then... • Place the subject of your image on one intersection. • Anchor your text on the opposite side/corner. • Leave white space elsewhere. Your audience’s eye goes to the image first, then to the message. That sequencing improves comprehension and retention. Next time you build a deck, ask yourself: 👉 If I removed all the words, would the slide still tell the story? Because in presenting, people remember what they see… not what you said. #SilverGoldfish #PresentationSkills #Retention #DualCoding

I judged 5 premier hackathons in the last couple months. Here is the "hidden curriculum" of winning presentations. 🏆 After reviewing hundreds of projects at Princeton University, Rutgers University, NEW JERSEY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE (NJAS), North Carolina State University, and University of Delaware, I noticed a pattern. The winners weren't always the ones with the most complex tech stacks. They were the ones who understood that a presentation is a feeling, not just a set of slides. Whether you are pitching an idea, presenting to a board, or demoing a hack, here are my top 5 takeaways on how to leave a lasting impression: 1. Don’t just present a solution; tell a story. 📖 The best demos used a human-centric narrative—they showed how their tech fits into a human story. Start with a "Fantastic Problem" and bridge it to your solution. ✅ Do: Focus on the human impact. Ex: Instead of explaining your sorting algorithm, show how it helps a nurse prioritize patient care in a busy ER. ❌ Don't: Spend your precious minutes listing backend library dependencies or technical specs. 2. Optimize for "The Wow Factor." ✨ What is your unique factor? Find that one differentiator and lead with it. ✅ Do: Highlight one polished "Wow" feature—be exceptional at one thing. Ex: If you have a custom hardware sensor, put it in the judge's hand and let them trigger the event themselves. ❌ Don't: Try to demo ten mediocre features; the judges will lose the "Core Value" in the noise. 3. Kill the Friction. ✂️ Nothing kills a demo faster than watching a presenter type into a "Login" page. Skip the fluff. ✅ Do: Kill the friction. Rehearse your demo. Be ready! Ex: Start your demo with a map already filled with pins, rather than making the audience watch you click 'allow location' and wait for a GPS lock. ❌ Don't: Make the audience watch you fill out a "Sign Up" form or wait for a verification email. 4. Always have a contingency plan. 🔋 I saw it happen: hardware fails, WiFi drops, laptops die. Preparation isn't just about the "Happy Path." ✅ Do: Have a "Plan B." Ex: Keep a high-quality video of your demo saved locally on your desktop so you can keep talking even if the venue's WiFi completely cuts out. ❌ Don't: Rely on live WiFi or "perfect" hardware conditions to make your point. 5. Make it Memorable (and Humorous). 😂 People will forget your tech stack, but they will never forget how you made them feel. ✅ Do: Be memorable. Ex: Name your app "BiteCheck" instead of "Caloric Intake Monitoring System"—it's easier to say, remember, and tweet. ❌ Don't: Use a complex technical name or jargon that makes the judges' eyes glaze over. The biggest lesson? Use your "hardware" — your voice, your energy, and your presence—to wow your audience. Thank you organizers for giving me the privilege of judging the incredible displays of innovation! 🚀 #Hackathon #PublicSpeaking #Storytelling #Innovation #TechLeadership #HackHers #HackPrinceton #HackNC_State #NJAS #HenHacks

Last night, former President Obama and First Lady Michelle reminded us of the power of compelling storytelling in their speeches at the Democratic National Convention. But what’s the secret behind these moments of excellence? Jon Favreau, Obama’s former director of speechwriting, shared five golden rules that are just as applicable to our business presentations as they are to political speeches. Here are five insights you can apply when delivering your next presentation, whether on stage, in a meeting, or in the boardroom: 1. The story is more important than the words Too often, we focus on the right words, but the real question is, “What story am I telling?” Before writing a speech, Favreau would always begin with a conversation, drawing on Obama’s ability to outline a clear narrative first and build the words around it. Always start with the story you’re trying to convey—it’s the backbone of your message. 2. Keep it simple Long presentations may feel thorough, but they are often forgettable. Favreau emphasized brevity: aim for twenty minutes or less. "A speech about everything is a speech about nothing." Narrow your message down to the essential points. 3. Address counterarguments upfront Don’t wait for the Q&A to address objections. In business, as in politics, it's key to acknowledge opposing views and deal with them during your presentation. When Obama delivered his Health Care Reform Plan, he anticipated objections and tackled them head-on. 4. Empathy is key Knowing your audience isn’t enough. You have to step into their shoes. Obama’s speeches resonated because they were written in a language his audience understood. Whether you're presenting to colleagues, clients, or an entire audience, connect by understanding their challenges and perspectives. 5. Persuasion requires inspiration Logic alone won’t motivate. The best way to connect is through stories that touch the heart. In Obama’s 2008 victory speech, Favreau chose the story of Ann Nixon Cooper, a 106-year-old woman who had seen the full spectrum of progress in America. Her story was the perfect reminder that change, though slow, is always possible. Whether you're stepping on stage or presenting in the boardroom, these timeless tips from Obama’s speechwriting playbook can help you connect with your audience, deliver your message effectively, and inspire action. What stories are you sharing in your presentations? #Leadership #PublicSpeaking #Storytelling #Empathy #Inspiration