Nancy Duarte’s 6-step Process for High Stakes Presentations
ABOVE: My personal sketchnotes above are from Nancy Duarte’s breakdown of her 2010 game-changing TED Talk titled: The Secret "Presentation Formula" Behind My 3M+ View TED Talk.
So, I am preparing for the class I teach students at the intersection of business, science, and law in the MSL Program at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. (My annual deep dive into Massive Imposter Syndrome.)
This class/workshop is on presentation design and visual storytelling for systems change. It definitely challenges me every year.
Currently, I am revamping all of the sections on the different tools for presentation design, due to the rapid adoption of AI in everything, the rise of Canva, Affinity replacing the Adobe Suite Juggernaut, and other evolutions in the “design ecosystem.“
Some parts that don’t change too much?
How to tell a good story!
For this, I tend to return to the same resources, touchstones, and masters in the field: Edward Tufte for dataviz, Joseph Campbell for story archetypes, Karl Jung for characters, and Nancy Duarte for presentation design and delivery.
Below are some notes and tips to share with you, just in case they are helpful in working with your students, clients, or co-workers to tell a high-stakes presentation.
As she reminds us:
“With high-stakes presentations, you only have ONE shot. Mess it up, and you may miss out on an opportunity that may only come once in a lifetime.“
Nancy breaks down her viral 2010 TED Talk to show you a proven presentation structure you can use as the foundation of all your high-stakes presentations.
NOTE: The text below are from a LinkedIn post by Nancy Duarte who used a photo of my sketchnotes to illustrate her process.
See her original Li post here.
Many presenters lose their audience within the first 30 seconds.
If that happens, it’s as if you never even presented...
Your brilliant idea or insights that could change their lives never reach their potential.
That's why half the battle in a high-stakes presentation is keeping your audience engaged.
Here’s a 6-step process I’ve used over the last few decades to win the room during my highest stakes presentations.
1. Know your audience’s values and decision-making style.
The first mistake communicators make is presenting what they think is important.
But persuasion doesn't start with you and your message. It starts with your audience.
Before you build a single slide, understand how they think and what’s driving their decisions.
What drives them to make decisions (are they analytical or intuitive)? Are they risk-averse or risk-tolerant? What are their biggest pain points?
2. Understand why your audience is coming to THIS presentation.
Taking #1 a step further, think through what everyone in your audience is bringing with them into this meeting.
What do they feel about the topic you’re presenting on? What pressures are they facing? What are they afraid of? Are they here because they have to be or because they want to be?
3. Identify how your message solves their problem (make them the hero).
Take what you learned in Steps 1 and 2 to create your presentation’s story structure.
Position your idea as the bridge that connects where your audience is and where they want to be.
Your idea is the catalyst that allows them to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
4. Determine the ONE thing you want them to do after the presentation.
You know what outcome you need, so don’t leave it up to chance. Give them ONE action to take and make the stakes crystal clear.
What happens if they say yes? But more importantly, what happens if they don't?
People are more likely to act when they understand the cost of inaction.
5. Distill everything into The Big Idea™.
If your audience forgets everything else, what’s the one thing you want them to remember? That’s The Big Idea™.
When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he said, “Today, Apple reinvents the phone.”
That’s a message that moves people.
The Big Idea™ is your point of view plus what’s at stake. It should be a single sentence.
6. Make sure everything in your presentation supports The Big Idea™.
Once you have that sentence, test every element of your presentation against it.
Your stories, your data, your slides…every piece should reinforce The Big Idea™ and make it impossible to ignore.
Cut anything that doesn’t support The Big Idea™. It will only weaken your presentation.
This 6-step process has worked wonders for me throughout my career, and I’m confident it can help you begin winning the room during your high-stakes presentations.
Additional Resources
How The Big Idea™ Formula Can Make Your Presentation the Best (Article) by Nancy Duarte (2018) - https://www.duarte.com/blog/how-to-develop-the-best-big-idea-for-your-presentation/
The Secret "Presentation Formula" Behind My 3M+ View TED Talk (Video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7aymo_E130&t=322s
Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences (Book) by Nancy Duarte, 2010 - https://www.duarte.com/resources/books/resonate/
