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In any presentation, there are basic pieces of information that an audience expects to receive from the presenter. You are the problem solver presenting a solution that will benefit your audience. Even if you are just blessing the newlyweds at your best friend’s wedding, you still have questions that must be answered. These questions are the classic five Ws and an H: who, what, when, where, why and how. Read on to better understand what I mean.

Who

Who is your target audience? What would they like to know about regarding your topic? Do they have any preconceived notions about your material? What are their concerns? Are you addressing the “who” you targeted in your research? When you address the “who” of your message, you are better able to relate with your audience. They will feel like you are speaking directly to them. They will give you their attention because they feel like their needs are being addressed.
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O.K. You’ve introduced yourself. You’ve laid out what you’re going to say. You’ve even discussed evidence that backs you up. You’re ready close, right?

Wrong. Now you must go through what the classical Greek and Roman orators called the Refutatio.

This is the part of your presentation where you address counter arguments, doubts and concerns. For example,

If this is a job interview, you might say something like “I recognize that I do not have all the requirements of the job …”

If this is a presentation to convince the audience to take some action, you might say “Some may argue that …”

If this is a sales pitch, you might say “You have probably looked at my competitors and I recognize that they have good features to offer too …”

But, guess what? There’s a “but”! All of these counter arguments you bring up can easily be refuted. So you do just that:
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So far, I’ve discussed the opening or exordium and the narratio or brief outline of the speech. With these two parts, you’ve warmed up the audience to you and your topic. Now its time to get down to business.

The next part of a presentation is the Partitio. Here is where you set out the main arguments that you want to make.

If this is a speech to convince the audience of your views, you might says something like “What we need to do to address this problem is …”.

If this is a sales speech, you might say “The reason my products or services are particularly suited to solve your problem is …”.

If this is an expository or educational presentation, such as our dog-training example, you might say “The first thing you need to establish is your dominance in the pack. Your dog much know that you are the alpha dog.”
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