A Bridge is a useful metaphor for any speech or presentation. I like to imagine that I am standing on one side and my audience is standing on the other. I want the audience to cross the bridge and see things from my perspective.

Now, if people are going to cross safely, the bridge needs to have a good Structure. If it doesn’t, there are going to be problems. Potentially big problems! Just look at what happened to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

A bridge needs a good structure if it is to stand and it is no different with your speeches and presentations. How do you structure a speech? In three parts:

• The opening, which should grab the audience’s attention and let them know what you will be talking about.
• The body which is the bulk of your presentation. It should contain the right amount of information—not too much and not too little—presented in a coherent manner and supported with the proper data, anecdotes and visuals.
• The conclusion which summarizes your presentation in a memorable way and that contains a call to action.

While working with a client in Bonn, Germany, I shot the short video below beside the Rhine River. In it, I share my thoughts on the matter.

For a comprehensive analysis on how to build the structure of your speech, please see this post which takes you from start to conclusion.