Before I fall asleep each night, I am usually thinking through a million different scenarios and processing information I gathered throughout the day. If you glanced at the Notes app on my iPhone 5S – I know, I am stuck in the technology past – you would see hundreds of half-baked ideas and miscellaneous thoughts. I would guess that about 8% of those ideas actually turn into realized efforts. Transforming an idea into a project can be a daunting process. You’ll almost always need to enlist help from others on your team or in your department. But it can even be difficult to achieve buy-in for your idea. So, Seth Godin developed an approach to jumpstarting projects called the Bingo Method, and it is a useful tool for presenters creating a new and improved presentation.
What is the Bingo Method?
The Bingo Method is straightforward. Imagine a bingo card. Design one on a blank sheet of paper by outlining a 5 x 5 grid with 25 squares included. Within each of the 25 squares, write an element that needs to exist or task that must be completed in order for your presentation to come together.
Why should presenters use it?
The Bingo Method empowers presenters by reassuring them that nearly everything they need to elevate their presentation idea to a digital asset is within themselves. It also provides a clear roadmap for presenters to understand where they are headed and how they will get there.
How does the approach work?
Let’s say you are building a presentation about the increasing use of drone strikes in modern warfare. You will have to provide evidence through statistics and numbers during the course of your argument. Place this task in one of the squares of your bingo card. A presenter should then check off as many grids as possible before requesting assistance from other team members or applicable individuals.
Taking ownership over your own idea, and subsequently, your own presentation makes the project that much more meaningful and personally groundbreaking. Plus, demonstrating to your team members that you can handle most every aspect of the presentation’s creation will make them more willing to help you in the rare instances that you ask for an obligation. Presenters who show their belief in their initial idea will garner more respect from outsiders and onlookers. For more presentation tips, review the following resources:
Practice Vulnerability in Presentations
5 Presentation Techniques to Try on a Date
When You Need to Give Up on Your Presentation Content
