You may start by opening a blank Powerpoint presentation template and typing in your key ideas for each slide. Or potentially you drag out an old slide deck and try to shuffle it to fit your current purpose.
Do you normally start planning your introduction first? Have you found yourself getting stuck thinking, “What will I start with?”, “How can I capture their attention?” Have you ever spent so much time here that you’ve had to rush creating the rest of your talk? There is a better way. Let me share with you the process we take our clients through in our Engage360 Public Speaking and Presentation Skills programs.
A BETTER WAY
We recommend starting in the middle.
Yes, the middle! Put your computer away, go analogue and start brainstorming. Next time you have to create a presentation follow these 5 simple steps and you might be surprised how quickly you can create your material.
Step 1: Start by brainstorming all of your ideas. Doing this with post-it notes can be really helpful. Just one idea per post-it note and leave nothing out at this point, all ideas are good ideas, let them flow.
Step 2: Once you’ve exhausted all your ideas, start putting them into groups. Depending on the length of your talk you should find 3-4 groups that your ideas fit into. If some of your ideas don’t fit into a group just put them to the side.
Step 3: Look at the 3-4 groups you have, and come up with a heading for each group. Take your time here because your headings will become your key points. (Congratulations, you should now have your key points).
Step 4: Position your key points (groups) in an order that makes sense for the audience and your purpose. Remove anything you won’t have time for or that doesn’t fit.
Step 5: Create your Introduction and Conclusion.
WHY START IN THE MIDDLE?
You might be wondering why we start in the middle? Well, we think it’s hard to create an impactful start and finish before you get really clear on what you want to say to your audience. Once that’s clear, then you know what you are introducing and what you’re concluding and you can get creative making sure you do that in a memorable way.
Good luck!
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you start unlocking your potential so that you can become clear, confident and compelling in front of your audience:
- Join our IS Rehearsal Room and connect with other leaders and business professionals: It’s our fast growing Facebook Community where driven leaders and business professionals are leveling up their Presentation Skills – it’s FREE to join.
- Join us on the inside where you will gain access to our members portal Rehearsal Room. Here you will find invaluable body language and vocal techniques, as well as tips and tricks sure to help you increase your influence in your next presentation.
- Work with me and my team to immediately start elevating your presentation skills. If you’re sick of putting up with where you’re at now and want to make sure you’re ready to do it better next time, let us help you create and deliver a presentation you can be proud of. Apply here and we look forward to understanding more about you and your goals:
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