Three questions I ask before every presentation

Many people begin preparing for a presentation by opening PowerPoint. Whilst slides have their place, they shouldn't be the starting point. 

Before thinking about visuals, it's worth spending a few minutes thinking about your audience and the message you want them to leave with.

Three simple questions can help.

1. What do you want people to understand?
2. Why should they care?
3. What do you want them to remember after they've left the room?

These questions encourage you to simplify your thinking before adding detail. Instead of trying to communicate everything you know, they help you focus on what matters most to your audience.

I've found over the years that this approach not only produces clearer presentations, it also helps speakers feel more confident. When your message is clear in your own mind, it's much easier to communicate naturally because you're no longer trying to remember everything you know. You're simply helping your audience understand, remember and care about what matters most

If you'd like to explore this idea in more detail, I've written a full article called 'How to Create a Message People Actually Remember'.