Ep 001: How to Create Your Presentation Outline

Struggling to create your presentation outline? Have too many ideas swirling around? Use this structure to create a presentation outline that supports your key objectives.

Transcript:

Hi there and welcome to the Presentation Design Podcast. I’m your host, Adrienne Johnston.

Today we’re going to be talking about how to develop your presentation content. Now, I’m not a content person - frankly, I just don’t enjoy the process as much as I do design.

But, of course, I’ve worked on tons of presentations and often answer questions for clients about content flow.

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling with how to develop your Presentation Outline, Good news: I’m going to walk you through the process of developing your presentation outline step-by-step!

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE GOAL OF YOUR PRESENTATION

Regardless of your topic or venue, our goal in a presentation is always to motivate someone to the action WE want them to take.

From a pitch to investors where you’re seeking investment capital to a keynote at a conference where you hope to reach new prospective clients, you want your audience to take action at the end of your session.

Every point you make, every slide you design should be guiding your audience to the ultimate call-to-action.

If you aren’t clear at the very beginning on how this will end, how will you build a clear presentation that moves your audience to that action?

So really get clear, before you get started with exactly what your ideal outcome is. That could be:

• Opting in to an email list or following you on social media
• It could be scheduling a call with you
• It could be requesting a custom proposal for products/services
• Agreeing to another meeting or the next step in your sales process
• It could be making an investment in your business

Quick tip: if you’re struggling here, imagine looking into a magic crystal ball where anything is possible. Without all the obstacles and being grounded in reality, what would your ideal outcome be? What would your audience be thinking when you’ve finished speaking? What would they be motivated to do?

STEP 2: STATE HOW THE GOAL OF THE PRESENTATION WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Ever heard of WIIFM? It stands for What’s In It For Me. Your audience has a plethora of distractions right at their fingertips or even on their watch! How are you going to compete for their attention in this highly distracting digital age?

You need to be very clear about how your presentation will benefit your AUDIENCE.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

First, let’s say that you’re seeking investment capital for your startup that sells special concrete that stores excess CO2 and is carbon negative, offsetting the greenhouse effect and global warming. Strange - but a real example! Why would someone care about investing in YOUR startup over another? Let’s face it, concrete isn’t an exciting investment.

• Is it because it has higher returns?
• Is it because it has average returns with the added benefit of improving the environment?
• Is it because there is some area of your production or service that is novel? Potentially having other applications and creating more value in other areas?

You really have to get crystal clear on the value you’re delivering before you start structuring your pitch, so that you structure your content in a way that conveys the necessary information to support that what’s in it for me statement.

For our second example, let’s say that we’re pitching our product and service offering to a business. We need to focus on the value that the product or service offering can bring to that business and the stakeholders in that organization. Why is it beneficial to them?

• Is it saving them time?
• Is it reducing their operating expenses?
• Is it reducing their risk?
• Improving the quality of their offering?
• Enabling them to charge more?
• Get paid faster?
• Hire fewer people?
• Providing a better customer experience?
• Something else?
• Or a combination of factors?

And then, you need to plan to begin your presentation by conveying that benefit. Because when you lead with what’s in it for me, you have ruined the ending. You’ve already told them why this information is important to them. Why they should care and pay attention - because they already know where your presentation is headed and they like it. They want to know everything you have to say. They’re hooked.

STEP 3: BRAIN DUMP ALL YOUR IDEAS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OUTLINE

This may be one of the most difficult portions of creating your presentation outline – and typically the point where we get stuck. As the expert, you likely have an overwhelming multitude of ideas swirling around in your head. You want to tell your audience every single detail you know about the subject at hand.

But with only 30-45 minutes of time to convey your points, you don’t have time to spend on the details that while interesting, don’t compile your audience toward your ultimate goal.

Instead of allowing all those ideas to swirl around in your head and overwhelm you, do a brain dump and write down every idea you have that you want to convey in the presentation.

Frequently, these ideas aren’t as numerous as they feel when they are floating around in your mind.

Keep a note open on your phone so that you can jot down those ideas that inevitably pop into your head. Just get them out of your head and on paper.

STEP 4: IDENTIFY THE THREE MOST COMPELLING POINTS YOU CAN MAKE

To identify your three most compelling points, try bucketing all of the ideas you wrote down in step 3. In many cases, your ideas naturally fit into a problem-solution-benefit framework. Or a beginning-middle-end framework. Look at that: 1-2-3! You’re on your way to a solid presentation outline!

Once you organize your ideas, you will start to see a pattern in what you simply must convey in your presentation. And what you should exclude – regardless of how interesting it may be!

If you’re struggling here, I ask my clients to tell me their story in the same way that they would a child. This allows them to tap into their natural ability to convey complex topics and ideas in a really simple 3-5 sentence way. And, now, you have your 3 most important ideas or a framework for continuing to develop your presentation.

STEP 5: CONTINUE TO FLESH OUT YOUR THREE MAIN IDEAS

Building out your main ideas with data and stories is the most effective way to ensure that your audience follows your presentation and retains the information.

For example, if you’re writing about the impact of climate change, you need to find 1) a very specific and tangible hero that your audience can identify with and 2) demonstrate the impact of that story with data.

So, in the climate change example, I could choose a ton of animals that are impacted like cold water fish, but fish aren’t exactly appealing, are they?

Instead, I would make the starving polar bear my hero. We think of polar bears with coke, winter, and the holidays. They are beautiful and strong animals - but when you show a national geographic video with a starving polar bear - the evidence cannot be denied. And it makes it real for people - unlike an animal they’re not familiar with - or one they are used to eating. So, when I tell you two-thirds of the polar bears will disappear by 2050, you will immediately be driven to action.

You’ve given your audience a real-life, tangible example and then helped extrapolate it with data to make it more impactful – and drive them toward your ultimate call to action.

STEP 6: END YOUR PRESENTATION OUTLINE WITH YOUR CALL-TO-ACTION

As you wrap up your presentation outline, prepare to summarize your key points succinctly immediately preceding your closing call-to-action. Make sure you’re call-to-action is clear, direct and easy for your audience to take some immediate action on as the presentation winds down.

Your audience will rarely be more inspired to take action than they do in that moment. Make it count!

In our next episode we’ll spend more time talking about call-to-actions!

For more information, visit my website at adriennejohnston.com

For free presentation templates and resources, you can also visit my free PowerPoint template gallery at slidesgallery.com.