You don’t design a presentation, you write it

Here is a tip to help you write one.

Every time you speak, you need to have something to say. I understand that when you are asked to talk about your specialist subject it is not difficult to find things to say so you might feel able to improvise on the day.

But, some of the presentations you give in your job are really important. Should you really approach them with the plan of ad-libbing around some bullet points and notes?

I think you should write a script for all presentations BUT especially for the important ones. The ones that could lead to winning new clients or getting a promotion.

The first thing to do before writing a script is to identify your key messages. Once you are clear about the messages and the approach or structure of your presentation, then you can write a script that delivers what it needs to deliver.

English is spoken at about 120 words per minute so that tells you how long your script needs to be.

One way of writing a script that reflects the way you speak is to dictate it. Smartphones and laptops have built-in voice recognition so it’s easy enough to do.

However you get the first draft of your script together it won’t be good enough. First drafts never are. You will have to revise it until it is as good as you can make it.

Then you will have to rehearse it in order to learn it and be able to give the presentation without reading from your script.

I know this is a lot of work but it will make the difference between a so-so presentation and a great one.