Start with the End: Why Your First Slide Should Be Your Last

Have you ever been in a presentation that felt like it went nowhere? The speaker starts with a generic title, rambles on for a while, and then throws in a bunch of cluttered agenda slides. You’re left wondering, “What’s the point?”

This traditional way of presenting often doesn’t grab the audience’s attention or make them want to take action. Why? Because it doesn’t have a clear focus or a compelling call to action from the start.

So what’s the better way to prepare your presentation?

Besides understanding the audiences’ profiles and aims, and researching the topics, I’ll start my slide presentation from the very last slide. Remember, the end goal should always be in mind.

Think of the last slide of the presentation – the one that sums up the main points or tells people what you want them to do – as your guiding light. It should be the first slide you make.

Here’s why:

  • You’ll Know What You Want: Writing your final slide first forces you to figure out exactly what you want your audience to take away from your presentation. What do you want them to remember?
  • You’ll Stay Focused: With a clear goal, every other slide becomes a piece of the puzzle, carefully designed to support your final message. No more unnecessary fluff!
  • You’ll Make a Bigger Impact: By repeating your final slide throughout your presentation, you make sure your audience remembers the key points.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Figure Out What You Want Them to Do: What action do you want your audience to take?
  2. Make Your Final Slide: Summarize the main points and clearly state your call to action.
  3. Work Backwards: Make the rest of your slides logically lead up to your final slide.

This way, your presentation will be focused, impactful, and drive the results you want. Say goodbye to boring presentations and hello to presentations that make a difference!

#presentationskills #publicspeaking #storytelling #businesstips #startwiththeendinmind

Presenting data

What will you do to present Number of deaths for leading causes of death. Let’s say the meaningless data will be something like:

  • Heart disease: 652,091
  • Cancer: 559,312
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 143,579
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 130,933
  • Accidents (unintentional injuries): 117,809
  • Diabetes: 75,119
  • etc.

Here is probably the best way:

See, will that help you to rethink how to present your data ?

Ideas worth spreading

TED.com is simply great, and the presentations are simply jaw-dropping. You will certainly find many good topics and speakers there but I found the following is one of the best (YMMV, of course). Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke … make the best of your next 18 minutes with this video (with transcript).

http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf

Did you know … shift happens ?

Two very good set of slides … “Did You Know” is a set of slide about the globalization and America’s future in 21st century. And “Shift Happens” is a stylization of same set of slides. Two different approaches but same important message. Enjoy !!

“Did you know” by Karl Fisch, a teacher from Colorado.

“Shift Happens” by Jeff Brenman, a graduate from NorthWestern University.