Presentation: What You Say

“The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going.” - Philip Crosby

There are only two principal elements in regards to presentation: What you say and how you say it. Quite basic, certainly, but it’s hardly simple. Keeping the audience engaged and attentive throughout a lesson is a mammoth task, one that unfortunately must be borne by you, our diligent and dedicated authors. Fear not, for below is a list, compiled to help guide you through the roughest parts of the presentation task: the introduction, the transitions, and the conclusion.

We’re sure that your knowledge about your particular topic is resolute, but translating that expertise into a well-structured and coherent presentation is a difficult undertaking. We highly suggest checking out the Preparation article elsewhere in this toolkit.

The Introduction: How to Begin

One of the most important elements of your MindBite will be its introduction. This is the portion the prospective buyer is able to view free of charge in order to determine whether or not they want to cough up the dough for what you’ve got to say. So by all means, sell yourself as someone worth listening to.

Introduce Yourself

Obviously it’s probably a good idea to start with your name. Begin as you would if the viewer were right there in person. Remain confident, but keep a congenial air about you. A MindBite is unique from other instructionals in its personal and relaxed approach. So lose all the formal mumbo jumbo and come back down to earth.

State Your Credentials

Let the prospective buyer know why he/she should be listening to you over any other Tom, Dick, or Harry. If you’ve got twelve professional years of experience in the field of your topic, that’s one heck of a selling point. Conversely, if you are merely an avid hobbyist, state that as well. You’ll be surprised by how many viewers enjoy listening to individuals who are teaching something simply because they love it and not because they’re paid on a daily basis to understand it.

Describe the Content of the Lesson

Give a brief, but thorough rundown of the information to be discussed in the lesson. Be specific, especially if your lesson deals with a particular form or style of a broader topic (i.e. Ashtanga Yoga). Hit the main points/sections of the lesson, but try not to go much in-depth (after all, you don’t want to give away all your knowledge for free).

Indicate What You Assume They Already Know

If your lesson is intended for advanced students, note it as such. If the viewer should have at least a cursory knowledge of the topic, they’ll want to know beforehand. You might indicate other MindBites or websites to check out before returning to your lesson. Aside from being truthful about the information in your lesson, this may instill a degree of trust between you and the potential buyer that will bring them back later for more purchases.

Express Your Passion for the Subject

Explain why you love what you’re teaching and why it should matter to the potential buyer. At MindBites, we stress time and again the importance of passion when teaching what you know. This is what separates MindBites from other, more casual how-to’s. Enthusiasm is infectious, and an impassioned introduction will stand out to the viewer and might just be enough to garner that coveted purchase.

The Transition: Forming a Well-Structured Lesson

As indicated in the article on Preparation, a good lesson will be broken up into sections, generally between 2 and 3 minutes each, which are linked by transitions and complement the presentation as a whole. While the content of each section is entirely up to you, here are some points to consider when forming the transitional links from segment to segment:

Explain the Purpose of the Section

Each division should be created for a particular reason, and it will behoove you to state said reason at the beginning of the new segment. Without reinforcement, a viewer might simply scan over a section, skimming the information within, to move faster through the MindBite and get to the topics they find particularly interesting. If you see the potential for this happening on a particular segment, make sure you explain to the audience why they must view it to understand the material to come later. If it isn’t necessary that they understand the information within, consider removing it all together. Brevity is the key to a good MindBite, only the essential should make it into the final product

Tie In to the Big Picture

A lesson may contain several sub-divisions of varying topics, which could potentially confuse the viewer and make them lose sight of the overall picture. So, to reinforce the idea of cohesiveness, explain at the beginning of each section how the information ties back into the whole. For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on toilet repair and have a section on specific tools, make sure the viewer understands how each tool will be utilized for reaching the final goal of fixing the toilet.

When Concluding a Section, Recap the Information Covered

Repetition is always a good idea. It takes multiple encounters with a piece of information for your long-term memory to absorb it. Always remind the viewer of what they’ve just learned, but be brief and try to restate the information in a new way, otherwise you risk boring and/or alienating your viewer, both being a death sentence to a MindBite.

The Conclusion: Going Out with a Bang

You don’t need to spend a lot of time on the conclusion, but it is certainly an important section to include in your lesson. A good conclusion will provide the viewer with closure and confidence with the information they’ve learned in your lesson. If executed correctly, you’ll leave them wanting more and they’ll return time and again for additional lessons.

Rundown All the Information Covered, Restating the Section Topics

Again, repetition is key. Your lesson will seem more unified and complete with a final discussion of all the interrelated topics that explain the final, big picture you kept talking about throughout the lesson. Be clear about everything you discussed and let the viewer know how all the information they’ve just learned will allow them to complete the desired task with ease, or at least with confidence. But be sure to find new ways to restate what you’ve already said, as to avoid sounding redundant.

Be Clear and Concise, But Ram Your Point Home

This is it; your final moment to make sure everything you needed to say has been said. After this, game over man. So feel free to add any additional information here one might need on the subject. Whatever you need to say to communicate both the importance and the excitement you feel are warranted for your topic, let it out here.

The Final Moments

Go ahead and restate who you are (to really get your name lodged in their head) and feel free to plug any websites, businesses, or other MindBites here. Additionally, if there are other routes one might explore to gain more information on the topic, state them. Be kind to your audience and the karma will eventually make its way back to you, hopefully in the guise of future purchases or friend referrals!

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