Storytelling in Presentations For Dummies

Learn to influence audiences with storyopia: Stories that take them on a journey from what is to what could be:

Storytelling in Presentations For Dummies shows you how to develop and deliver a presentation through storytelling, keeping audience interested, and most importantly, making them heroes that take action towards change. You'll learn how to cull stories from your own experiences, and before you know it, you'll have more stories than Aesop has fables. You'll learn about the latest presentation software, so you can integrate visuals into your presentations and avoid the dreaded "Death by PowerPoint." You'll also learn how to deal with challenging on-the-spot situations, deliver investor pitches and executive briefs, and present a paper at a conference. Additionally, find out how to deliver someone else's content and make it your own.

This book will help you level up anywhere you need to present information by mastering the art of savvy presentations--the most effective business communications tools of our time.

• Identify experiences that can be molded into stories that drive change.
• Prepare powerful openings to hook your audience right away whether delivering in person, online, or hybrid
• Have your audience get the most from your presentation with an effective call to action
• Prepare a storyboard, which is like a frame-by-frame roadmap, that will mesh together what you'll show and what you'll tell
• Leverage software like Canva, Prezi, and Storyboarder to tie your presentation together
• Enjoy the colorful 8-page mini-booklet, "Storytelling to Storyboarding"

This Dummies guide is perfect for any professional who needs to present, and at some time all professionals do. It's also for entrepreneurs who want to build community and grow their business, in addition to students who want to wow teachers and classmates.

Auteur
Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts MA leads writing seminars across the country, including the popular workshop "Stories and Storyboarding: Building Blocks to Influential Presentations." Roberts is also the author of over 25 books and is often quoted in national news outlets and magazines. She is the author of Technical Writing For Dummies.

Contenu
Introduction 1

Part 1: Martians, Stories, and Heroes 5

Chapter 1: Sizzle Your Presentations with Stories 7

Chapter 2: Storyopia: Sharing Stories from What Is to What Can Be 19

Part 2: Nuts 'n' Bolts 31

Chapter 3: Knowing Your Audience to Make Them Heroes 33

Chapter 4: Mining and Crafting Great Stories 47

Chapter 5: Starting Strong for a Groundswell Response 69

Chapter 6: Ending Memorably 89

Chapter 7: Storyboarding: Bringing Stories to Life Frame by Frame 97

Part 3: Adding Flourishes 115

Chapter 8: Slideware: Buying and Applying 117

Chapter 9: Slide Sense: Using Slides Effectually 137

Chapter 10: Handouts and Workbooks: Kick 'Em Up a Notch. 153

Chapter 11: Your Bio: The Story of You 167

Chapter 12: Requesting Feedback: Evaluation Forms 181

Part 4: It's Showtime 191

Chapter 13: Poised to Present 193

Chapter 14: Collaborative Team Presentations 213

Chapter 15: On the Spot: Fielding Difficult Questions and Delivering Bad News 227

Chapter 16: Adding a Splash of Humor 239

Chapter 17: Vive la Différence: Diversity and Inclusion 249

Chapter 18: Journeying from In-Person to Virtual 259

Part 5: Specialized Presentations 271

Chapter 19: Structuring a Training Session or Workshop 273

Chapter 20: Nailing an Executive Briefing 291

Chapter 21: Presenting a Paper at a Conference 303

Chapter 22: Presenting Someone Else's Content 317

Part 6: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 23: Ten Hints for Combatting Stage Fright 327

Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Telling a Relatable Story 331

Chapter 25: Ten-Plus Ways to Make Your Presentation Interactive 335

Chapter 26: Ten Reasons Presentations Can Fail 339

Part 7: Appendixes 343

Appendix A: Presentation Checklist 345

Appendix B: Glossary. 349

Index 353