The Science of Killer Presentations: Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions:

1. How do the following help or hurt in captivating an audience during presentations?

a) Providing a history of the company

b) Staging a three minute introduction to your past professional experiences
c) Stating a fact that would be unexpected to the people in the audience
d) Presenting the charted growth statistics of the last fiscal year

2. What does the headline “1,000 songs in your pocket” achieve that the headline “iPod:
The new device that is able to contain many songs in a small amount of space and why
you should desire to have one” does not? Try rewriting each of the following presentation
headlines into a more compelling and memorable headline (keep it under 140 characters):

a) Choosing the Right Nutritional Supplements Gives a 50% Increased Chance of

Optimal Long-Term Health
b) If You Are Tired of Being Alone You Should Learn to Develop More
Cooperative and Confident Relationships
c) The Ten-Year Heated Debate Finally Ends as New Study Proves Vampires are
More Dangerous than Werewolves
d) Cell Phone Use Negatively Impacts Students’ Grades Causing Parents To
Demand Cell Phone Ban on Some College Campuses
e) Thousands of Protesters Gather to Make Their Message that ‘Clowns are Scary
and Should be Outlawed’ Heard

3. Now try turning each of the above into a one-word headline.

4. How might you use assertion evidence design with each of these examples to help
your audience better remember your message?

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