Talking Tech: Interesting & Informing Your Most Important Stakeholders

Strategies for talking to stakeholders about our technical solutions, even taking the driest of technical details and making them fascinating to anybody.

1. Exciting an Audience to Your Vision Matt Vassar October 30, 2023 COM 88: High-Impact Tech Talk Stanford Continuing Studies Program

2. “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”

3. “ Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”

4. “Nothing in _____ makes sense except in the light of ________.”

5. Image credit: NASA Goddard [ link ]

6. Image credit: NASA Goddard [ link ] A nd B ut T herefore

7. An empire has enslaved the galaxy AND it is building the ultimate weapon BUT the rebels steal the weapon’s plans THEREFORE there is hope for the galaxy

8. Hey, I just met you AND this is crazy BUT here’s my number SO [THEREFORE] call me, maybe? Image credit: Andy Witchger [ link ]

9. Hey, I just met you AND this is crazy BUT here’s my number So [THEREFORE] call me, maybe? Image credit: Andy Witchger [ link ]

10. In my lab we model moderate sleep apnea in rats with a chronic intermittent hypoxia protocol AND we’ve investigated the physiological mechanisms of sustained diurnal blood pressure, BUT we have realized the importance of molecular pathways within the central nervous system contributing towards blood pressure control, THEREFORE we have begun exploring novel molecular pathways that develop as a result of our sleep apnea model. Informational ABT

11. Conversational ABT We were looking at one method BUT realized there’s another method THEREFORE we’re looking at that method.

12. Consider Your Audience

13. Keeper ABT 30 million people suddenly stop breathing at night because of a dangerous condition known as sleep apnea. [AND] We are hoping to solve this by studying sleep apnea in rats. We previously focused on physiological mechanisms. BUT we realized the real controls might be at a molecular level, so [THEREFORE] we’ve begun exploring novel molecular pathways.

14. Consider Your Audience

15. Moving Your Audience to Action

16. Pull Your Audience Toward You Rider Elephant You

17. Rider Elephant You Energizing the Elephant Delivery

18. Posture Gestures Eye Contact Voice

19. Rider Elephant You Energizing the Elephant Delivery Look to the one

20. Image credit:1930585 Soni [ link ] Look to the One

21. Image credit: Scott Schrantz [ link ] Look to the One

22. Rider Elephant You Energizing the Elephant Delivery Look to the one Benefits vs. Features

23. 15 Mbps

24. Rider Elephant You Energizing the Elephant Delivery Look to the one Benefits vs. Features Background

25. Build a mystery

26. Rider Elephant You Energizing the Elephant Delivery Look to the one Benefits vs. Features Background Bring them on the journey

27. Image credit: WikiEditingProfile2021 [ link ]

28. Rider Elephant You Rousing the Rider Organization

29. Organizational Structure Body Introduction Conclusion Thesis Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Preview Review Hook Finale Organic Transitions

30. Rider Elephant You Organization Visual Aids Rousing the Rider

31. Rider Elephant You Organization Visual Aids Break Down Components Rousing the Rider

32. Head Body

33. Rider Elephant You Organization Visual Aids Break Down Components Materials Rousing the Rider

34. Rider Elephant You Organization Visual Aids Break Down Components Materials Concreteness Rousing the Rider

35. Image credit: Scott Schrantz [ link ] Look to the One

36. Rider Elephant You Organization Visual Aids Break Down Components Materials Concreteness Analogies/Comparisons Rousing the Rider

37. Head Body

38. Head Body Tunnel

39. Rider Elephant You Pull Your Audience Towards You