“If you communicate an idea in a way that resonates, change will happen”

In her TED Talk, ‘The secret structure of great talks’, Nancy Duarte shares a powerful perspective that is also at the heart of mindful presenting; “If you communicate an idea in a way that resonates, change will happen”.

Anyone can communicate an idea with varying levels of confidence and clarity. The question is what impact does it have with an audience; how does it resonate with them.

I like the way the word ‘resonate’ is described in the Cambridge Dictionary; ‘If you resonate with something, it feels true or has meaning for you.’

Here at Mindful Presenter we call it connecting.

Connecting is everything!

We don’t meet too many people who like the idea of presenting to an audience and we meet even fewer audiences who like the idea of being presented too. Most people we meet like the idea of connecting.

If you and your idea doesn’t resonate or connect with your audience in some way emotionally as well as intellectually it’s unlikely that you’ll experience lasting change.

In her TED Talk Nancy shares her belief that to communicate an idea which influences change or leads to action it has to have a great shape.

That shape takes the form of starting with ‘what is’ and traverses back and forth and ends with ‘what could be’.

‘What is’ to ‘what could be’

Nancy describes it like this:

“At the beginning of any presentation, you need to establish what is. 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. 

And then you need to compare that to what could be. 

You need to make that gap as big as possible, 

because there is this commonplace of the status quo, 

and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

So it’s like, you know, here’s the past, here’s the present, 

but look at our future. 

Here’s a problem, but look at that problem removed. 

Here’s a roadblock, let’s annihilate the roadblock. 

You need to really amplify that gap. 

This would be like the inciting incident in a movie. 

That’s when suddenly the audience has to contend 

with what you just put out there: 

“Wow, do I want to agree with this and align with it or not?” 

And in the rest of your presentation should support that.”

Here’s what the shape looks like

You can learn more about this this shape in her book, Resonate or watch her full Ted Talk here:

If you’d like to communicate an idea that resonates and connects with an audience:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

Image courtesy of Canva.com