Structure Your Presentation Like a Story

After studying hundreds of speeches, I’ve found that the most effective presenters use the same techniques as great storytellers: By reminding people of the status quo and then revealing the path to a better way, they set up a conflict that needs to be resolved.

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Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports. Start Course Read more on Business communication or related topic Presentation skills For HBR Subscribers How to Give a Great Presentation Tips to improve your talk, from preparation to delivery. Show Reading List

Nancy Duarte is a best-selling author with thirty years of CEO-ing under her belt. She’s driven her firm, Duarte, Inc., to be the global leader behind some of the most influential messages and visuals in business and culture. Duarte, Inc., is the largest design firm in Silicon Valley, as well as one of the top woman-owned businesses in the area. Nancy has written six best-selling books, four have won awards, and her new book, DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story, is available now. Follow Duarte on Twitter: @nancyduarte or LinkedIn.

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HBR Learning

Writing Skills Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.