If you have been tasked to give a presentation at a conference or your office, you are going to need to learn how to write your presentation so that you can practice your speech. 

While this might feel a bit overwhelming at first, there is a formula that you can follow that makes this a bit easier. The key factor in developing your presentation is that you need to make sure you keep it succinct and that there are key takeaways you want the audience to take action on. Here are some simple simple questions you can ask yourself that will help guide you to create a winning business presentation.

What is your topic?

It should go without saying that the first step in this process is to identify your topic. Maybe you want to talk about getting more customers or remaining agile and fluid in this very dynamic economy. Whatever the topic may be, you need to be very specific about what the main points are and you also want to make sure thatcher’s  you know the topic so you can speak about it without having to memorize your speech.

How will it end?

Writing a presentation starts with……? No, not PowerPoint slides and not with the title or the main points of your speech. According to many of the leading business speakers, most speakers do not start properly when putting together the outline. And that is the reason audiences are confused, even bored. The most important thing you need to decide is how it will end; what is the purpose of speaking to that particular audience?

What insights will you share?

In today’s business world, most people who are asked to speak stand up front because they know something the audience does not. We could describe this as giving information. I believe that pure description of an event, product or service is not enough anymore either. Today’s audience wants to hear the speaker’s opinion, suggestion, plans and proposal; or at least have a good laugh.

What action do you want the audience to take?

The reason for most presentations must be a clear next step the audience should, could or needs to take to get the result offered by the speaker. Sales people learn to have a very clear next step in mind which is the closing of the sales and making a deal. A clear vision like this is important in any presentation today. Every orator needs to be a winning sales person. Only if your listeners obtain an obvious path they can take to victory will you succeed as a speaker.

How will you help your audience?

Only if your system, program, or advice works for them, will they talk about you and how you helped them achieve their objectives. Even if you consider yourself an entertaining speaker and have the skill to make your listeners laugh and enjoy themselves, they still want to receive a message that helps them improve their business. 

“The people listening to your presentation hope that your experiences, your knowledge and your look at business challenges will give them clear and concrete steps to take once they are back home or in the office” says business coach Craig Jones of the Coaching Institute. Be remembered and recommended because you help them. PowerPoint slides and other visual aids are not there simply to entertain but to help drive home the message, your next step.

Next time you start writing a presentation, consider the next step your audience needs to take to achieve something. Even better, analyze a speech you already gave and look for the next steps, are they plainly explained? 

For many speakers this is difficult. Once you are very clear on what you want to teach and give your audience, the presentation starts to fall in place much easier. All of a sudden you can decide what points are important and which ones to do away with.