How to Share Your Big Idea On A Stage
HOW TO SHARE YOUR BIG IDEA
Here are my words of wisdom for developing your idea presentation and sharing it with confidence and engagement.
1. Idea Formation
A good presentation takes a good idea. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion. A good way to ensure that you have a good idea is to run your idea through these basic questions:
Is my idea new?
Is it interesting?
Is it factual and realistic?
If you answered an enthusiastic, “YES!” to those questions that you are ready to develop your outline. If no, Refine.
2. Make an Outline (that takes the shape of a mountain range.)
Start by setting a stage for which your audience will care about or resonate with. This can be done by using a relatable example or explaining a status quo scenario or setting a scene for ‘what is’. This would take the shape of a valley or flat meadow.
Convey your intriguing idea with clearly, conviction, and CONTRAST from the stage you have already established. Contrast will set your idea apart from the status quo and make the audience concerned with your idea’s differentiators to the status quo. This contrast draws the audience towards your idea with the notion of ‘what could be”. You may have to do this multiple times or multiple ways within your presentation depending on the loftiness of your idea. This is also where you should be describing your evidence and how and why your idea could or should be implemented. These contrasting statements, stories, or evidence should differ from the stage you have set and create the shape of a mountain peak.
End with a Call To Action to your audience and a euphoric utopia based on their willingness to answer your Call To Action. This may be asking for acceptance of the idea, sharing the idea, or implementing the idea. Re-address how your idea could or should affect your audience if they were to accept your call to action. Re-iterate the status quo or stage previously set so your audience can understand the journey they were just sent on. This will take the shape of a flat line but will not be located on the ridge-line of the mountain peak.
Graphic from Nancy Duarte, author of slide:ology and Resonate.
3. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. Record. Rehearse.
(One hour for every minute of your Talk! - an 18 minute talk means 18 hours!)
A rehearsal is different than a practice. Practice happens in isolation, usually in front of a mirror. Rehearsal is a replication of the actual event with as many things as you can recreate as possible.
This recreation should begin with an audience of one and grow with each iteration of confidence you feel. Each new practice audience member you ask to listen should also be open to honest feedback - it’s the only way you can grow.
Once you feel comfortable with your talk in front of an audience, video record your talk so that you can listen and learn from your own stage presence. Listen to your own words, inflections, and reactions. Make your wardrobe, movements, and postures are deliberate and with the intention to serve the purpose of the idea you are sharing.
Re-invent, or re-engineer the parts of your speech that you feel are not as strong as you would like them to be.
Finally, try to mimic stage conditions as much as possible. This will ensure that your movements, actions, and stage resources are within the context of the area and tools you have available.
4. Identify a rhythm to your Talk or Presentation.
Your voice and storyline cadence, flow, and presentation style will draw in your audience arguable more than the content itself. A predictable, comfortable rhythm with a break when you need to deliberately add a dramatic emphasis is the rhythm you are aiming for. As you develop this rhythm, don’t forget to account for audience reaction which will allow you to create a relationship with your audience as if you were having a casual conversation over a cup of tea.