What Is a Presentation Really? Not What You Think
Most people think a presentation is about sharing information. You stand up, show your slides, talk about your topic, sit down. Done.
Dan Kennedy says that’s completely wrong. In Chapter 4 of No B.S. Guide to Powerful Presentations, he redefines what a presentation actually is. And his definition changes everything about how you prepare one.
A Presentation Is a Tool, Not an Art Project
Kennedy starts with a simple idea. A presentation is a means to an end. That’s it.
It’s like a shovel. You don’t admire the shovel. You use it to dig a hole. A presentation is the same. You use it to get a specific result. Maybe that result is a sale. Maybe it’s getting people to sign up, agree, or take action. But there must be a result.
The moment you understand this, you stop worrying about being creative or clever. You start thinking about what actually works.
Start with the End, Not the Beginning
Here’s where most people go wrong. They get invited to speak or decide to do a webinar, and they start at the beginning. What’s my opening? What stories should I tell? What information should I cover?
Kennedy says that’s backwards. You start with the desired outcome.
What do you want the audience to do when you’re finished? Buy your product? Book a consultation? Join your program? That outcome should dictate everything. Your opening, your stories, your examples, your structure. All of it serves one purpose: getting to that outcome.
If a story you love telling doesn’t move the audience toward your goal, cut it. If a boring story you don’t care about does the job better, use that one instead.
This is not about you. It’s about the result.
You Are Not an Artist
Kennedy has a background in advertising. He says people make the same mistake with ads that they make with presentations. They think it’s a creative exercise.
It’s not.
He quotes David Ogilvy, one of the greatest ad men ever: “In advertising, creativity is what sells.” Not creativity for its own sake. Creativity that produces results.
Think of it like being an architect. Yes, there’s a creative side to designing a house. But the roof still has to keep rain out. The doors still have to open. You can’t let your artistic vision make the house unlivable.
Same with presentations. You can be creative, but only within the boundaries of your desired outcome. Every sentence, every slide, every joke exists to serve that outcome. If it doesn’t serve the outcome, it goes.
Kennedy calls this a “strict and rigid discipline.” And he means it.
Discipline Beats Talent
Kennedy shares a story about General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of Desert Storm. Schwarzkopf had a saying: “Shined shoes save lives.”
The idea is simple. When soldiers are disciplined about small things like shining their shoes every morning, that discipline carries over to big things. Like staying calm when bullets are flying.
Same with presentations. When you’re disciplined about crafting your presentation, about every word and every transition being intentional, you feel confident delivering it. You’re not nervous because you know every piece is there for a reason.
People who wing it, who throw together slides the night before, those are the ones who freeze up on stage. Not because they lack talent. Because they lack discipline in preparation.
Three Things in One
Kennedy breaks down the dictionary definition of a presentation and says the best ones combine three elements:
- A proposition. You’re asking the audience to accept something. An idea, an offer, a purchase.
- A demonstration. You show evidence. Proof. Something that makes the proposition believable.
- A performance. It’s not just what you say. It’s how you say it. Body language, facial expressions, energy. Kennedy even tests TV infomercials with the sound muted to see if the performance works visually.
If you’re just sharing information without asking for anything, you’re a teacher. And Kennedy points out, teachers who only share information are paid far less than people who persuade others to buy.
Use the Formula
Here’s Kennedy’s big conclusion for this chapter. Because presentations are pragmatic tools with specific outcomes, they should follow formulas.
This sounds boring. It sounds like paint-by-numbers. Kennedy agrees. And he says that’s exactly the point.
You’re not an artist. You’re a businessperson who needs results. A formula gives you reliability. It gives you a structure that works every time, with every audience, in every room.
He compares it to writing stories. If someone says “write a great story,” you’re lost. But if someone gives you a proven story structure, suddenly the task is manageable. Same with presentations.
Kennedy recommends Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey for understanding story structure. But for presentations, he says the next chapter will give you a specific paint-by-numbers formula.
The Bottom Line
A presentation is not a speech. It’s not an information dump. It’s not a performance art piece.
It’s a tool designed to produce a specific result. Start with the result. Work backwards. Be disciplined about every element. Follow a formula. And don’t let your ego or creative preferences get in the way of what actually works.
If your presentation doesn’t produce the outcome you wanted, it failed. No matter how much the audience clapped.
This is post 6 of 21 in my retelling of No B.S. Guide to Powerful Presentations by Dan Kennedy.
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