Technique tips for making a speech or presentation

Written on August 16, 2008 by David C. Sarnacki

Business Week shows us ways to improve our presentations by following the lead of politicians and successful ad campaigns.

Carmine Gallo writes (excerpt):
[Anaphora.] Repeating a phrase at the beginning or end of successive sentences is a powerful rhetorical technique that business leaders can use to capture the attention of their audiences. It does not have to be reserved for political speeches. . . . [Obama's "This is the moment."]
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Analogy. Analogies help us understand concepts that might be foreign to us. For example, you might have heard this one: “The computer chip is the brain of your computer.” . . .
Simile. . . . “What happens is the water tunnels to the bottom and makes the ice like Swiss cheese, sort of like termites.”. . .
Metaphors. . . . “You’re playing on the varsity team now.” Metaphors are visual images that help stimulate your listeners’ imaginations, creating that emotional connection required for persuasion. . . .
Triads. People remember three or four items in short-term memory. . . .

Posted in Persuasion/Advocacy