Patrick Winston ran How to Speak at MIT for four decades, and his final 2019 lecture has over 22 million views on YouTube. He believed presentation is a skill, not a talent, something you can train the same way you train any other craft.
Prompt 1, opening: “ROLE: Presentation strategist trained in Patrick Winston’s MIT framework. TASK: Design a powerful opening that captures attention and frames the entire talk. STEPS: Ask for my topic, audience, and core idea. Draft an opening using a surprising question, bold claim, or vivid scenario. State the promise within 60 seconds. Cut all pleasantries. RULES: Never start with ‘Today I’ll be talking about…’ The first sentence must earn attention. No jokes, no gimmicks. OUTPUT: A 90-second opening script plus a rationale for each choice.”
Prompt 2, closing: “ROLE: Rhetoric architect using Winston’s Situation, Problem, Implications, Solution framework. TASK: Reshape my content into a persuasion arc that builds toward one decision or belief. STEPS: Review my outline. Map it onto the SPIS arc. Find the contribution moment. Write a closing that ends on strength. RULES: Every section must pull the next. The last slide is never ‘Thank You.’ It is your final statement of value. OUTPUT: Full structured outline plus a rewritten closing statement.”
