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Home | Key Message | Why? | How? | Prove it! | Using WHPI | Links
Introduction
This site outlines the unique presentation writing method known as 'Why? How? Prove It!'
This method of writing presentations and speeches was developed by Graham Jones, a leading British public
speaker and trainer in presentation skills. The method ensures you can:
If you use Why? How? Prove It! in your work you will be amazed at how quickly you can put together great
presentations that will be easy to say and easy to remember.
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How to write a presentation | Key Message | http://www.whyhowproveit.co.uk/key.htm
Home | Key Message | Why? | How? | Prove it! | Using WHPI | Links
Key message
Your presentation MUST have a key message. Leave your audience in absolutely no doubt what you came to tell
them. Don't lead them up to your messages - they won't stay the course. Hit them between the eyes with your
message right up front. You should provide your key message within the first 15 seconds of starting your talk.
Research shows that if you don't do this you risk losing the attention of your audience.
Writing your key message should be the most time consuming and difficult part of preparing your talk. Indeed, if you
do not spend enough time on thinking through your key message you may well be wasting your time - and that of
your audience - when you come to give your presentation. Poorly prepared key messages are frequently the
problem that lies behind badly written talks and speeches.
The main action or change in behaviour you want your audience to take as a result of listening to you
Reference to the audience
Reference to an example that you'll elaborate on
Since you are all marketing managers, I'm convinced that by the end of this morning's talk
you'll be absolutely determined to use our new marketing software that allows you to gain
access to research reports in a flash. In fact I'm sure you'll be so impressed you'll be wanting a
copy in the next 30 minutes.
This message is also just 55 words long, which means you can say it in 18 seconds. Indeed, if no-one wishes to
listen to you after those opening 20 seconds they will still have understood what you have come to tell them. The
remainder of your talk would just be the detail - but your message will have hit home without it.
Having said that, a good key message with a 'call to action' like the example (you'll be wanting a copy in the next
30 minutes) means that your audience will be hungry for more, so they will carry on listening.
To make sure they have got the message, though, make sure you repeat it right at the end of your talk. This helps
ensure the late arrivals also know what your message was.
► The next step is answering the audience's inevitable question as to WHY? they should take up your call to
action.
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How to write a presentation | Why? | http://www.whyhowproveit.co.uk/why.htm
Home | Key Message | Why? | How? | Prove it! | Using WHPI | Links
Why?
Having provided your audience with your key message they will inevitably be asking themselves:
'Why should I do that?' or 'Why should I think that?' or 'Why should that be the case?'
In any event, all the questions that follow from an action-oriented key message are of the 'why?' kind. That means if
the next stage of your presentation sets about answering these questions your talk is following what the audience
perceives as its route through the material. The result is that you have them on your side immediately.
Many presenters prepare material that is only logical if you already know the subject or the information that is being
presented. But few audiences will know. Hence they become quickly lost and have to work hard to pick their way
through the information. Research shows that audiences that have to commit the least mental effort are the
ones most likely to accept the material they are given. In other words, if you follow your own logic you are
making it much less likely that your material will be accepted or acted upon by the audience.
If your talk follows the audience logic by immediately answering the 'why' style questions you will be providing just
what the listeners want, mentally. As a result, you will make your material MUCH MORE LIKELY to be accepted
and acted upon.
Having constructed your key message you simply have to think of all the reasons why your audience should accept
what you are saying or act upon your material. These reasons and the detail behind them will form the first main
section of your presentation
That there is no suitable program that works quickly enough for marketing managers
► The next step is showing HOW your message can be acted upon.
1 of 1 7/29/2010 2:12 AM
How to write a presentation | Prove It! | http://www.whyhowproveit.co.uk/proveit.htm
Home | Key Message | Why? | How? | Prove it! | Using WHPI | Links
Prove It!
So, you've told your audience what you expect them to do, why they should do it and how they can get on with
things. But even though you may have got your message across, you haven't really underlined it as yet. You need to
provide evidence for your assertions - prove what you have said is beyond dispute. The 'prove it' section of your
talk is the most important part you need to write, after the key message. So spend lots of time in planning this.
You can prove your key message in several ways, but the main evidence will come from:
Personal examples
Case studies
Statistics
Individual, personal examples are immensely powerful - especially if you tell them as stories. Case studies are in
depth examples and can be useful, but they are more difficult to tell as stories. Statistics are useful to help prove a
point, but they do not carry as much weight as examples and case histories. That's because people know that you
can massage the statistics in your favour, so they put less trust in them.
The story about the marketing manager you met at a conference who said the program had
enabled much greater control of marketing programmes
The case study of the company which used the software and achieved a much happier
marketing team as a result
The figures from several companies that showed marketing efforts were 30% more successful
when the software was used
► So now you know the three steps to a successful presentation, all you have to do is put them together in USING
WHPI.
1 of 1 7/29/2010 2:13 AM
How to write a presentation | Using WHPI | http://www.whyhowproveit.co.uk/using.htm
Home | Key Message | Why? | How? | Prove it! | Using WHPI | Links
Using WHPI
There are several advantages to the Why? How? Prove It! method:
1. Your talk starts and ends with a key message, leaving your audience in no doubt as to what you said -
you've grabbed their attention
2. Writing your talk is easy as you only have to provide a few details and then add some examples to prove
your point
3. Remembering your talk is easy as it is constructed logically -plus if you forget where you are just reflect on
what you have said and work out which is the next phase in the sequence.
4. Your talk follows the apparent logic of the audience making it much more influential and persuasive
If you want, you can download our pre-printed form (a Word document) that lets you fill in the blanks using the WHPI
method. You can use this form to provide the outline for your presentations.
More information
If you would like more information on the Why? How? Prove It! method you can contact us at:
1 of 1 7/29/2010 2:14 AM
Communication Skills - making oral presentations http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm
Preparation The material of your presentation should be concise, to the point and tell an
interesting story. In addition to the obvious things like content and visual aids,
Making the the following are just as important as the audience will be subconsciously taking
presentation them in:
Delivery Your voice - how you say it is as important as what you say
Visual Aids Body language - a subject in its own right and something about which
much has been written and said. In essence, your body movements
Finally ... express what your attitudes and thoughts really are. You might like to
check out this web page
One Minute Pause
Appearance - first impressions influence the audience's attitudes to you.
Get emailed
Dress appropriately for the occasion.
weekly
presentation tips As with most personal skills oral communication cannot be taught.
from Natural Instructors can only point the way. So as always, practice is essential, both to
Training improve your skills generally and also to make the best of each individual
presentation you make.
Back to top
Preparation
Prepare the structure of the talk carefully and logically, just as you
would for a written report. What are:
Never read from a script. It is also unwise to have the talk written
out in detail as a prompt sheet - the chances are you will not locate
the thing you want to say amongst all the other text. You should
know most of what you want to say - if you don't then you should
not be giving the talk! So prepare cue cards which have key words
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Communication Skills - making oral presentations http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm
and phrases (and possibly sketches) on them. Postcards are ideal for
this. Don't forget to number the cards in case you drop them.
Remember to mark on your cards the visual aids that go with them
so that the right OHP or slide is shown at the right time
Back to top
Keep to the time allowed. If you can, keep it short. It's better to
under-run than over-run. As a rule of thumb, allow 2 minutes for
each general overhead transparency or Powerpoint slide you use,
but longer for any that you want to use for developing specific
points. 35mm slides are generally used more sparingly and stay on
the screen longer. However, the audience will get bored with
something on the screen for more than 5 minutes, especially if you
are not actively talking about it. So switch the display off, or replace
the slide with some form of 'wallpaper' such as a company logo.
Unless explicitly told not to, leave time for discussion - 5 minutes is
sufficient to allow clarification of points. The session chairman may
extend this if the questioning becomes interesting.
Back to top
2 of 5 7/29/2010 1:55 AM
Communication Skills - making oral presentations http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm
Delivery
speed
pitch of voice
Don't face the display screen behind you and talk to it. Other
annoying habits include:
Avoid moving about too much. Pacing up and down can unnerve the
audience, although some animation is desirable.
Back to top
Visual Aids
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Communication Skills - making oral presentations http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm
Use colour on your slides but avoid orange and yellow which do not
show up very well when projected. For text only, white or yellow on
blue is pleasant to look at and easy to read. Books on presentation
techniques often have quite detailed advice on the design of slides.
If possible consult an expert such as the Audio Visual Centre
Avoid adding to OHPs with a pen during the talk - it's messy and the
audience will be fascinated by your shaking hand! On this point, this
is another good reason for pointing to the screen when explaining a
4 of 5 7/29/2010 1:55 AM
Communication Skills - making oral presentations http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/dept/tips/present/comms.htm
Room lighting should be considered. Too much light near the screen
will make it difficult to see the detail. On the other hand, a
completely darkened room can send the audience to sleep. Try to
avoid having to keep switching lights on and off, but if you do have
to do this, know where the light switches are and how to use them.
Finally ...,
Enjoy yourself. The audience will be on your side and want to hear
what you have to say!
Back to top
5 of 5 7/29/2010 1:55 AM
Designing Presentation Visuals -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/designing_visuals.html
Therefore:
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Designing Presentation Visuals -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/designing_visuals.html
Visuals Should...
Support your communication objective
Enhance your verbal message, not detract from it
Set tone and emotional content of verbal message with the use of colors and images
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Designing Presentation Visuals -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/designing_visuals.html
3 of 3 7/29/2010 2:20 AM
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Keywords
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Public Speaking
How do you speak naturally while all those people are watching you?
This document covers hints and tips on public speaking and presentation skills, dealing with public
speaking nerves and anxiety, public speaking skills, public speaking techniques and public speaking
training.
Did you know that public speaking tops the list of phobias for most people? Not spiders or heights -
public speaking - speech in public!
Well, if you didn't know that, we bet your body does. It will do all kinds of unpleasant things to you
when you have to stand up and face a sea of faces with the hope of getting your message across in
a compelling and interesting way.
Your hands may sweat and your mouth goes dry. Your knees may shake and a quaver affects your
voice. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies invade your stomach.
When all that happens most people don't think of getting their message across in a compelling and
interesting way; they just think of getting off the 'stage' as quickly as possible!
It's normal
We don't really mean to frighten you, just remind you that your body reacts 'in extremis' when put
under pressure, and for most people, public speaking is just about the worst pressure they can be
put under.
It's normal to be nervous and have a lot of anxiety when speaking in public. In a way, it's less
normal not to have nerves or anxiety; in fact, to feel you have a phobia about public speaking.
Fight or flight
Our bodies are geared to fight or flight from ancient time - fight that mastodon or get the hell out
of the way. We don't have too many mastodons around these days, but the body still reacts as
though we do. So, if we have to get up and speak in public, all that adrenalin and noradrenalin
goes coursing through our bodies - way more than we need.
We can't run away (well, we could, but we'd be out of job pretty quick if we did it too often), so our
only option is to fight. But in terms of speaking in public, it can be hard to define just what we're
fighting.
Good question. You'd think that for most people, being given the opportunity to impress their
2 of 4 7/29/2010 3:08 AM
Impact Factory - Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making http://www.impactfactory.com/gate/public_speaking_training_course/free...
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Impact Factory - Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making http://www.impactfactory.com/gate/public_speaking_training_course/free...
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4 of 4 7/29/2010 3:08 AM
Using Slide Projectors -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/using_slides.html
1 of 2 7/29/2010 2:28 AM
Using Slide Projectors -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/using_slides.html
Extension Cord - Rooms sometimes have the power outlets located in the most inconvenient locations.
An extension cord may resolve such difficulties.
Ungrounded Plug Adapter - Some rooms do not have three-prong grounded outlets. A two-prong
adapter will allow you to use these older power outlets without damaging the overhead projector plug.
Spare Bulb - A spare bulb is always good insurance. Make sure you know how to change the bulb in
case it burns out during your presentation. Do not touch the glass surface of bulbs with your fingers,
but handle bulbs by their metal or porcelain bases.
Coin - Slides sometimes warp or get stuck in the projector. The only way to resolve this is to take the
tray off using a screw driver or a coin in the slot in the middle of the tray. Be sure however, that the
plastic lock ring is on your tray before you remove the tray to prevent dumping slides on the floor.
Spare Slide Tray - Sometimes a tray will become damaged on the projector. The solution is to move
the slides to an undamaged tray.
Numbered Slides - Numbering your slides in the upper right hand corner will provide assurance that
you can put the slides back in the tray in order if they spill out or get stuck.
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Using Overhead Projectors -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/using_overhead.html
1 of 3 7/29/2010 2:22 AM
Using Overhead Projectors -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/using_overhead.html
Extension Cord - Rooms sometimes have the power outlets located in the most inconvenient locations.
An extension cord may resolve such difficulties.
Ungrounded Plug Adapter - Some buildings still do not have three-prong grounded outlets. A
two-prong adapter will allow you to use these older power outlets without damaging the overhead
projector plug.
2 of 3 7/29/2010 2:22 AM
Using Overhead Projectors -- Pacific Lutheran University http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/using_overhead.html
Spare Bulb - Most of the PLU overhead projectors have spare lamp changers inside the projector. But
a spare bulb is always good insurance. Make sure you know how to change the bulb in case it burns out
during your presentation. Do not touch the glass surface of bulbs with your fingers, but handle bulbs
by their metal or porcelain bases or with a handkerchief.
Transparency Pen - You may want to write on a transparency to illustrate, clarify, or highlight a point.
If you plan to use a transparency over again, be sure to use a water-soluble transparency pen. You
may want to cover transparencies with clear sleeves to avoid damaging your original.
Acetate Film - Extra blank acetate film provides additional "chalkboard space" for responding to
audience questions and comments.
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