While I published the podcast and video last week, I did not tell you folks, my blog readers. Fixing that now!
Enjoy!
The Podcast:
The Transcript:
I’m Johanna Rothman, and this is Johanna’s 60 Seconds of Writing WIP for September 20, 2024, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Practice Your Opening and Stories
In Design Your Talk, I suggested starting with a story. That story might be about the audience's problems or a vision of the future. Since I use both options–not at the same time–I often need to practice before choosing the “best” start.
I never quite know which opening is “correct” until I practice it.
Even when I start with a story, I'm not always sure which story to tell. That might depend on the people in the room. (See the section about how I meet people before my presentation.)
To leave myself options, I don't write down specifics on my first slide, but give myself a cue as to the point of that story. That first slide might say something like this:
- Once upon a time, in a startup, far, far away …
- Your team is not delivering–and it's not their fault …
- How do you achieve market fit?
I write those exact words on the slide. That cues the audience to know I’m going to tell a story or answer that question. It also cues me as to which story.
You might remember which story to tell at which time. Good for you! However, back in 1998, I totally forgot to include all my stories. I ended twenty minutes too early–which was fine. But I left some audience members confused. That was not fine. That experience taught me to cue myself about which story to tell.
And, the video link.