When crafting a romance novel,
we usually show the character
in her ‘normal world’,
the world existing right now.
Then things happen in that world.
According to Nancy Duarte,
this is how effective presentations begin.
Presenters start
with the audience’s existing world.
“Start by describing life
as the audience knows it.
People should be nodding their heads
in recognition
because you’re articulating
what they already understand.
This creates a bond
between you and them,
and opens them up
to hear your ideas for change.
After you set that baseline
of what is,
introduce your vision of what could be.
The gap between the two
will throw the audience
a bit off balance,
and that’s a good thing
— it jars them out of complacency.”
Start with what is
and then move to what could be.