Here is a comprehensive 'Glossary of Terms' used in Public speaking coaching via the famous Fishbone Technique and A.I.D.A.

The old traveling medicine show selling a ‘cure-all’ elixir from the back of a trailer gave us the template and prototype of today’s modern day public speaking formula.

These ‘doctors’ used a tested pattern that worked every time. They combined the art of selling, performance, and entertainment.

Firstly, they would use their voice magnificently to grab attention and arouse interest. They would frown with worry for the fate of their attendees, thereby and setting up the pain scenario.

Next the solution appeared — all in one single bottle! These spruikers involved the audience, used props to great effect, had past clients extol the virtues of the product through live testimonials, and used a definite call to action.

This method featured a before and after ‘see it with your own eyes’ magical experiment that would startle the crowd. The ‘noise and smoke’ would then cause a chain reaction and more people to congregate.

Each section was a separate module carefully staged to arouse desire.

The name of the product was mentioned many times. When it was finally revealed and made available for a bargain price at the close, the audience would literally throw cash at the speaker — helped along by a few employees masquerading as buyers planted in the audience.

Depending on the size of the crowd (and the presence of the local sheriff!), each presentation could be expanded or reduced. This editing process allowed the speaker to tailor their presentation as circumstances changed — a very valuable resource.

Let us examine the remainder of the powerful means mentioned above and see how they help the modern day speaker to structure their talk using the famous fishbone technique.

Elixir
Every person is looking for an answer to their problems; some people did not even know they had a problem until you made them aware of it.

Pain
Dramatise a scenario of disease and danger, casting your audience (or their loved ones) towards imminent peril. The consequences of inaction will far outweigh those of participation.

Solution
This is the pill that will cure the pain — available only from yourself or your company — the originators, inventors and the saviours.

Product
The product that is not seen is the product that is not sold. Show how easy it is manoeuvre; how quiet it is to operate; how simple it is to service.

Module
Like chapters in a book, each segment is a mini-speech. You can choose to include each one depending on the size of the audience, any current trends, the type of venue, and the time available to you.

These divide the talk into easy to remember modules — with each one representing a different type of activity or visual media (e.g., a story, audience involvement, music or video, props or demonstration, and role play). These segments hold the attendees’ interest by ‘interrupting the pattern’ about approximately every eight (8) minutes.

Metaphor
Like binding a book, Metaphor is the used as the backbone of the ‘fish’ to unite the modules together. After each section is complete, return to the metaphor to remind your audience of your central theme.

For instance, a speaker on franchising used the metaphor of a bungy jump to reinforce the image of a franchisee going out on a limb as ‘the jumper’ but always under the safety and strength of the franchiser as ‘the cord’.

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AIDA
The best presentations are portable, adaptable, and flexible. In other words, they can be easily transcribed, transferred, transformed, and transmitted.

The anagram AIDA is all of this and more. This clear-cut, practical approach to presenting allows you to express your information without excess time spent on what you say but more on how it is said.

The four letters of AIDA represent a pro-active focus on the needs of your audience. You are always assessing their level of Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action using the concept of revision and feedback. This becomes a continual ‘loop’ of communication between the group.

Like a lawyer, you build a ‘case’ for each key point by outlining its history, its current situation, possible options and what needs to be done.

Start designing your speech with the end in mind (like a crime novel author does). In other words, how do you want the audience to feel after they leave your presentation? This will set your objectives and dictate the content.

Attention
The first rule of communication is to be certain you have everyone’s attention.

Your opening icebreaker is vital. It must be powerful enough to make the audience disregard their current thoughts and instead, divert their concentration to you.

First impressions count. An icebreaker is a way of immediately establishing a relationship with your audience. The audience and the speaker can quickly start to gauge each other.

For example, asking them as a group to answer one of your instructions immediately starts the ball rolling. React to what response you receive. If you feel it is not enough, encourage everyone to answer with a bit more gusto. It will pay off handsomely when you want them to join in later.

A great opening is a few minutes of high impact, fully scripted and rehearsed attention grabbing information that makes the audience sit up and take notice. It needs to be high in entertainment value and create an immediate bridge between you, the topic, and the interests of the audience.

It can be a headline or a current local event you quote from the newspaper. It can be a provocative statistic, question, or quotation. It can be a potent personal story that exhibits your connection with the group.

On the other hand, humour will create the biggest bang, but is also the biggest risk. The humour must be tested, generic, and dazzling. A potential blast or bomb.

Signposts
Begin by building the framework of your time together. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Imagine you are reading the table of contents from your own book. You can pre-empt the outcome and build anticipation. Like scanning a book before you buy it, this technique prepares the audience to ‘discover’ how they will profit from your talk.

Laying the foundations and setting the rules of your talk helps create audience cooperation. Knowing what to expect, the audience will be more willing to volunteer, interact, and have fun. Advise them whether you prefer questions during or after your talk.

Treat each section of the draft plan you have outlined as a signpost that points in the direction of the talk. Use it as an opportunity to review, summarise, reinforce, and test whether the audience understands your concepts.

Interest
Refer to the title of your talk and explain why it was chosen. People listen in direct proportion to the gain they believe the presenter can deliver to them. Create a vital reason why the audience should take notes.

As long as you are helping them to build prestige, increase their social standing, make more money, live longer, feel better, and accomplish more with less effort, you will satisfy their curiosity and maintain their focus on what you are saying.

Outline what you are going to do during your time together by signposting the direction of your talk (see 'Signposts' above). Once you start, remind them what you have just done. These reviews will continually renew their level of interest; like the refresh button on your web browser.

Desire
After raising their awareness with the features of your proposal, outline the advantages and the direct benefits to its users.

Like stoking the fire with more wood, you are raising the temperature of desire inside every member of your audience and challenging them to consider and then choose whether they are ‘in’ or ‘out’.

If your presentation has succeeded, the audience should be salivating about the prospect of owning your idea, product, or service.

Action — ‘the close’

I will conclude now as there are only five minutes left
and I like to leave enough time for the applause.

A call to action is the most important part of the presentation. Like the most recent song you heard, people remember best what they hear last.

Once they have decided to opt ‘in’, ask your audience for a commitment. Move your audience into taking action on what you have said. Leave them in no doubt about what the next step should be.

A review of your signposts will summarise your talk. Link back to the relevance of the opening and remind everyone of the key issues and their benefits. Remind the audience of how much they have learned in your short time together.

Treat this as a stand-alone speech. Test its strength by asking someone to listen to your closing statements unaccompanied and check if they still understand your message. An amazing audio has been produced about how to 'Close' - access it here at Presentation Persuasion

Musicals will save their best song to the end; you also must know on what ‘note’ the talk will finish.

Follow the lead of the TV news departments and complete your talk with a ‘feel good’ story that fills the hearts of your audience with motivation and inspiration.

A weak close is an anti-climax. If time has run out, many presenters will ‘fall at the last hurdle’ and rush through the close. When this occurs, everyone’s time is wasted.