Show Notes
Most technical professionals can fill a presentation with content. The harder problem is deciding what belongs, what order it goes in, and how to stop the audience forgetting everything before they walk out the door.
In this solo episode, Ben unpacks two frameworks he comes back to every time he coaches someone through a high-stakes presentation. One is AOREN, a five-question template that acts as a North Star before a single slide gets built. The other is his go-to presentation structure, which maps the whole session from opening to close.
AOREN stands for Audience, Objective, Remembered, Emotion, Next Steps. Ben walks through each element in detail: who is in the room and what they care about, how to hold two objectives in mind at once (yours and theirs), why narrowing down to three key messages before you start designing dramatically sharpens everything that follows, how to build emotional connection into content that is often dry and data-heavy, and how to be deliberate about what the audience should do the moment the session ends. He draws on recent coaching work with a head of data presenting an AI strategy to senior leaders, a professional navigating a difficult budget conversation, and a consultant pitching to government officials in developing countries. The same framework applies in all of them.
The second half covers the go-to structure: a distinct beginning, three key theme sections that correspond directly to the Remembered section of AOREN, and a deliberate ending. Ben breaks down what actually goes inside each of those sections. The opening framework runs from breathe-and-smile through a hook, a clear statement of benefit, and the key messages upfront, before the audience has had a chance to zone out. The closing framework runs from a verbal signal that the session is ending through to a clean next-step ask. He also explains why building in the key messages at the start is not giving away the punchline: it is the only reliable way to make sure the people who matter hear them at least once.
Listen and subscribe:
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eUGUEB7s
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eMHTNE-3
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/esq9jDs2
Newsletter and archive: https://www.techworldhumanskills.com
Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpthoughts
Blog Articles:
AOREN - https://www.elevatedyou.live/blog/tslAOREN
Content Flow - https://www.elevatedyou.live/blog/contentflow
Beginning - https://www.elevatedyou.live/blog/presentation-opening-win-the-audience-in-60-seconds-elevated-you
Ending - https://www.elevatedyou.live/blog/endingpresentationstrongly
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