Engage your audience by getting to the point, using story structure, and forcing specificity
I came across this recent video from Vicky Zhao last week and loved her brief summary of how she grew in her ability to clearly articulate ideas on the spot by getting to the point, using story structure from improv, and forcing specificty in sharp, boilerplate phrasing with clever mental models. Highly recommended watch.
I loved it so much, I took notes. I’m sharing those here but with some other related advice for writing, reading, thinking, and decision-making folded in. I hope you’ll find it useful as you watch, or re-watch.
Vicky Zhao recommends following the framework of “the one thing you must know about this topic is …” when you start sharing an idea.
This idea is a lot like a McKinsey- or BCG-style Action Title for presentations in Slide Decks. An action title is like the “So what?” statement for your slide that captures the singular point and key takeaway of what your slide is all about.
Providing this at the top of a slide — just like starting with “the one thing you must know about this topic is,” — frames the whole presentation you’re making, grabs your audience right away, and helps them evaluate and understand everything you’re going to say next.
