[MUSIC] In this video, we'll discuss your first step to building your presentation in PowerPoint, a storyboard. A storyboard is an outline of the deck at a high level that illustrates your Governing Thought or key message. It contains supporting information and outlines the value that you bring. We talked about this process in the first week of the course, in step three of the Eight Step Approach, how to structure the body of your presentation. We discussed drafting an outline with the key message, supporting messages, and supporting facts, examples, anecdotes, and questions. As we discussed, the storyboarding process begins with wireframes using pen and paper or sticky notes on a white board. Lay out your Governing Thought and supporting points. Then, bring in your colleagues and get their opinion. Next, clarify your language and sharpen your message. Once you are satisfied with the headlines in your wireframes, it's time to move to PowerPoint. Your PowerPoint storyboard should be compelling with a clear Governing Thought that is supported across all slides and a logical flow based on one of the three types of logic we discussed earlier. Deductive, inductive, or abductive. Facts should build upon facts, with lead lines supporting your messages that transition across pages. Converting your outline in wireframes into a draft that can PowerPoint using appropriate design template. Your supporting messages or lead lines will be your titles in PowerPoint With each lead line at the top of a blank slide. Each slide should include the appropriate supporting content from your outline. List bullets, notes, or samples to indicate data and analysis required to support the lead line. Structure your presentation so that each lead line flows logically from the previous one. At this point, go through the presentation to confirm that the story is not lost or to identify places where it needs to be emphasized or enhanced. Ask yourself, if I read this for the first time, will I find it to be a believable and easy-to-follow story? This will help you establish a logical flow for each section. Begin each section with an overview or outline of the content that will follow. You should be able to read just the leads lines and still understand the story line and the larger thesis. You want to put the supporting data in an order that makes sense. Move from higher level to more granular data, but present the most relevant information first. Present it logically to build conclusions and implications. Add visual cues to guide the reader through the storyline. Your audience can only take in 3 to 5 points at any given time. So, make sure you're dividing up your content appropriately. Don't give them a laundry list of items that will be hard to follow and remember. Present your lead lines for supporting ideas in the same order as the main ideas to which they relate. The data supporting your key claims, recommendations or findings should be presented in the same order that the claims are discussed in the outline, such as starting with the problem statement and moving on to your understanding. Remember to communicate your Governing Thought up front. Then add supporting ideas and facts in the order that the main ideas they support were communicated. Always keep in mind the type of logical argument you choose. Deductive, inductive or abductive. For example, if Slide 3 contains recommendations A, B and C, then Slide 4 should support recommendation A, Slide 5 should support recommendation B, and Slide 6 should support recommendation C. There are several dos and don'ts to help develop a successful storyboard. One, including enough facts and data to support your story. Two, be complete. Your audience doesn't know the information in depth like you do. Present the information needed for the audience to draw conclusions. Three, make sure to stick to the facts. All of your conclusions need to be supported by facts. Four, give your story a test run. Ask a team member without the knowledge of the issue to confirm if your message is clear and complete but not redundant. Five, focus only on your key messages. Don't include any slides that fall outside your flow just because they look nice or because you worked hard to obtain the information. Six, state each idea once. Choose the key issues and do not repeat unnecessarily. Seven, similarly do not repeat the same thing with different words. Your biggest obstacle is that you know too much. Remember, less is more. Eight, know that you can always include an appendix, if necessary. While you should be well-versed in all the details, you don't want to bombard your audience with too much information. In summary, effectively structuring our presentations can be as important as the information contained within them. And it is critical in getting the key message across. We've covered this before, but it's important to share again. Your presentation must tell a compelling story. Organize your Governing Thought, main ideas, supporting ideas, and facts so that they build on one another. Identify the supporting content to include by identifying the type of logic that best fits your audience and situation. And last but not least, remember to verify that your lead lines demonstrate a clear theme and logical flow. No matter how interesting and relevant your information if it does not support the message above it, you won't be telling your story effectively. Now, get to storyboarding and enjoy. [MUSIC]
