HOW TO TITLE YOUR PRESENTATION FOR EFFECT, IMPACT and INTEREST

When you get the right title for your presentation you can expect to benefit in three ways.

• your title will promote you
• your title will introduce you
• your title will boost your introduction

1) Your title will promote your presentation or speech to a wider audience – giving your potential audience a reason to listen.

2) Your presentation's title helps someone to introduce you – you can then begin your presentation immediately.

3) The title of your presentation gives you the best possible way to begin your speech. All the hooks and links are there.

These benefits are clear enough. But how should you prepare your title? Bland or exciting? Descriptive or interesting? Perhaps it might contain some mystery?

How To Prepare Your Presentation Title

Well it might be any or all of these. But try to build a distinct benefit for your audience. How clear is it that your speech will benefit your audience? Is it clear that they will learn?

A clear benefit is vital for a receptive audience.

If you do adopt a mysterious title (an enigma or a puzzle) then aim to explain the title and its relevance near the start of your speech. Keeping your audience guessing through your speech isn't a good idea, Don't delay.

"Build a distinct benefit for your audience"

You can find good title source material in the worlds of art, culture and literature. Book or theatrical plays lend themselves to speech titles. "The Lady's Not For Turning" was coined for Mrs Thatcher by the playwright Ronald Millar and is a reference to the Christopher Fry play, "The Lady's Not For Burning".

Sports, topical or historical events can also be usefully used for title material. Think about word plays, phrase reversal and awkward questions in your title. You can consider alliteration and exaggeration for added effect.

• word plays, phrase reversals
• awkward questions
• alliteration and exaggeration

So what's in a title? Your title is a superb promotion device – helping you to influence your audience before you speak. It helps you to be introduced by someone. It asserts your aptitude in your subject area. And a good title lends itself to a solid powerful introduction to your speech – boosting your success.

Getting your title right helps you get your presentation right.

There are more presentation skills tips on a PresentPerfect^TM training course.

"Speeches are not magic and there is no great speech without great policy."

Peggy Noonan