Three simple, easy to use, pitch content and structure tools

19 Jul 2010

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Three simple, easy to use, pitch content and structure tools

USE INTRO FOR THE OPENING FEW MINUTES TO GET OFF TO A GOOD START  

  • I is for impact
  • N is for need
  • T is for title
  • R is for range
  • O is for objectives
 
  • IMPACT
  •  
  • We are like horses before a race, get us pointing the right way
  • Get my attention, no attention = no communication
  • Copy the professionals – watch the news on BBC, Channel Four or Newsnight
  •  
  • NEED
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  • Why do we need to listen to you?
  • The benefits of listening (for the audience and me) are?
  • Will we develop our:
  • Knowledge?
  • Skills?
  • Attitude?
  • Understanding?
  • Perspective
  •  
  • What will I know that I may not know now?
  •  
  • TITLE
  •  
  • Make it as snappy as you can
  • Be topical
  • Use zeitgeist, the spirit of now by connecting to what is happening in our micro and macro world
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  • RANGE
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  • Tell us where you will start and end
  • The old story; beginning; middle and end
  • Gives us signposts and map out the journey so we can see progress at all points
  • Clearly link these section signposts with our needs and your objectives
  • In a presentation of more than 20 minutes, stop at least twice to make sure we are all still with you by asking something like: “ is that clear and is there anything you would like me to go over again?”
  • Doing all of this shows you are in control of the information and allows us relax and get ready to take it in and connect it to what we know
  •  
  • OBJECTIVES
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  • What will we get from the session and why do you want us to get that?
  • What will be different?
  • Will we have new knowledge or skills, or will you have confirmed and deepened our current knowledge and skills or challenged or disturbed them?
  • Do you want us to alter our attitudes?
  • Repeat any benefits outlined in need but in fresh language
  •  
  • USE COMB IN THE OPENING FEW MINUTES TO SHOW YOUR FOCUS
  •  
  • C is for Context
  • O is for Opportunity
  • M is for Methods
  • B is for Benefits
  •  
  • CONTEXT
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  • Why today? Place your presentation or part of it in its precise context and how it fits with what else is happening
  • Give your analysis of the task that is in front of you, tell us how you feel about it what insights you have, where you are coming from, what you are still unsure of or are still reflecting on or puzzling about, tell us your academic influences, who you have just read
  • Give us an opinion to react to or empathise with
  • Big picture to micro level or internal macro/micro decisions
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  • OPPORTUNITY
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  • Define the opportunity (get great grades, shift opinions about you, share how much you care, reveal how terrified this process makes youJ
  • Excite us about what you are reading and your research is teaching you or making you change or grow your opinions
  • Learn more about you and what you know about learning and children for example and what type of learner you are
  • The benefits of listening (for the audience and me) are?
  • Will we develop our:
  • Knowledge?
  • Skills?
  • Attitude?
  • Understanding?
  • Perspective
  •  
  • What will I know that I may not know now?
  •  
  • METHODS
  •  
  • Tell them where you will start and end
  • How and why this way
  • Timing, keep your timing promises the words we like most are: “ and finally…….
  • Where can I get more information?
  • How do you want me to interact with you?
  • Variety is good, mix talk with listen and Q&A and pictures and YouTube and quotes and handouts and sweets………..chocolate always goes down well
  •  
  • BENEFITS
  •  
  • How do we benefit from this time?
  • What will we get from the session?
  • What will be different?
  • Repeat any benefits outlined in opportunity but in fresh language and in the context of my world perhaps
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • MASK
  •  
  • Layers INTRO and COMB with examples that prove your capability, competence and individual character showing:
  •  
  • Motivation, why I get out of bed to do this degree, what excites me about it, what excites me about teaching and kids development, show your analysis of what my motivation is, should or might be
  • Attitude, revealed in everything you do or fail to do. But also gives me insights into where it has come from and what informs it. Back-story to your view is?
  • Skills, have to be evidenced in the room, create a moment to display them
  • Knowledge, your greatest asset and my lifelong goal, show how you share it and how I benefit from it. We live in an age of free knowledge. What are you adding to that pool?
  •  
  • PREPARATION IS KEY. PERSERVERNACE TRUMPS MERE TALENT AND PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND MORE PRACTICE MEANS SUCCESS. FOR EVERYONE WHO PRACTICES.
  •  
  • SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES
  •  
  • Why are you involved?
  • What do you hope to achieve?
  • Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
  • How do you want your audience/learners to think, feel or react?
  •  
  • FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE
  •  
  • Who are they?
  • How many?
  • What level are they at?
  • What are their attitudes and experiences? Beware of you assumptions and theirs.
  • What do they want and expect?
  • Ask them what they think a successful presentation is before you do it
  •  
  • BE CREATIVE
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  • Get your ideas out – use brainstorming
  • Read about communications
  • Do mock presentations to each other frequently
  • Join a debating society
  • Try out in Hyde Park corner
  • Be playful and don’t reject ideas at the start
  • Talk about your ideas with others
  • Experiment continually
  •  
  • REMEMBER
  •  
  • Things will go wrong but you will learn from them
  • All the great performers have prompters and dry some times
  • Most presenters are made not born
  • You can do it!
 

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