As a child, I enjoyed watching Sesame Street. It was a Muppet-style puppet show on American television. For us kids, each episode had some important learning lessons, but we liked the show for its colour, fun, and songs. The ABC song at the end was one of my favourites. “Now that I know my ABCs, will you sing with me the next time?” This music now constantly reminds me of ABCD presentations. A brilliant mnemonic for getting the opening few minutes of any presentation off to a strong start and instilling confidence in you. A stands for Attention, B stands for Benefits, C stands for Credibility, and D stands for Direction. Attention “Because I’m not used to giving public speeches…” “Greetings, my name is Paul Archer…” “All right, shall we begin?” What are these three things in common? Of course, they are dull, listless, and utterly uninteresting presentation starters. Your first aim should be to grab your audience’s attention, especially if you’re selling and speaking at the same time. We don’t have the luxury of time, therefore we must capture their attention right away. It will assist if you have gone around the audience beforehand and done some research on the folks in front of you. This gives you some ideas for the type of attention grabber you should use. I’m not suggesting you tell a joke. Maybe you could make it a suicide joke to show your humility and avoid embarrassment. Distribute the offer. There are many of them on the internet, and one of them might fit the bill. Tell a narrative or use a metaphor that relates to the major topics. Input a search query. Invitation to action This is the date in history. Log in to the History Channel website on a daily basis and sign up for the email service. It’s fantastic because it provides you with something historical to read about every day. Perhaps you could link to it. Advantages Once you’ve caught their attention, tease them with some of the primary advantages or advantages they’ll gain from listening and possibly betting action. It may seem apparent to you, but we must consider our audience. WIIFM. What is the benefit to me? Consider putting yourself in their place and sharing some of the rewards. They may provide you with a competitive advantage. Enough to engage, thrill, and entice others to want to hear more. Credibility If the audience has never met you before, it is critical that you complete this portion. In a more formal situation, the Master of Ceremonies may introduce you and assist you to establish credibility. Most corporate presentations, particularly sales events or “beauty shows,” require you to establish your credibility. Don’t go overboard. Don’t fall into the trap of giving them everything about yourself, your background, and your credentials. Instead, use an assurance statement. This statement should include your name, experience in the customer’s industry or sector, and experience solving challenges comparable to your customer’s. “My name is Paul Archer, and I’ve been assisting salesmen all around the world in obtaining their bonuses for nearly 20 years.” I’ve spent the previous two years assisting businesses like yours in obtaining higher closure rates from their key accounts.” ” Direction I enjoy taking road vacations with my three children. My wife and I suspect she’d be the first to ask, “Are we there yet, dad?” My wife is typically the victor. So I say, “Not yet, Euan, we just passed Winchester and will be in Nanas in half an hour.” And they’re content for the next few kilometres. Someone gave me excellent advice last week to aid with this difficult task. Tell them where you are and how long you will be driving. “Hey guys, we just drove through Stonehenge. What’s that to your right? We’ll be at Nana’s in 20 minutes, just in time for ice cream.” We’ve never looked back on this tip, and you may apply it in your presentations as well. Give them specific instructions. There is no agenda. These are intended for books. Pointers are needed in presentations to show where you’re headed. The audience must be reminded of where they came from and where they are going next at each intersection. The greatest analogy is one of those TV real estate shows. Phil and Kirsty’s rendition of “Location, Location, Location” is my personal favourite. Kirsty briefly reviews the important points we’ve covered thus far and teases what you’ll see after the break, just in time for the commercial break. This not only gives you a clear direction, but it also entices you to return after a short gap. When you return from the break, Phil takes over and reminds you of what they were doing before the break before enticing you to continue with the key benefits of the next 15 minutes. Excellent material that should be repeated throughout your speeches. To indicate the direction and then continue pointing to the end. And, as you get closer to the end, summarise each of your important arguments, remembering the power of three – three primary points at most. Invite questions; never finish the questions and answers because you will exit like a wet octopus if there are no questions. Respond to the questions, then restate your objective and purpose before concluding with a call to action. With the finish line in sight: A sign that the end is near Each of your main points should be summarised. Ask questions: it doesn’t end with Q&A. Restate the overall goal and purpose. Call to action – final completion And now you understand your ABCs…and D. When you next sing with me…