5

Drafting your presentation

In this chapter

  • When you’re up against a deadline
  • How to decide what to say
  • Write a compelling headline
  • Blank page to first draft
  • Use stories

The hardest part of any presentation is probably the blank sheet of paper. You can sit and stare at it for hours, wondering where to start or writing a few words and deleting them again and again. It’s very like what happens if you are asked to make a speech, with little or no warning. You think, ‘What shall I talk about?’ It’s as though you have forgotten all the things you know. I’ve known even experienced speakers doubt their ability to say anything interesting when faced with the pressure of a deadline.

So where to start, and is there a simple formula that will get ...

Get FT Essential Guide to Making Business Presentations now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.