PODCAST SCRIPT - ORGANISING YOUR PRESENTATION

With your editing all finished you have a perfect opportunity to organise. Organise your presentation.

First, check over the basics. How does the title look? How about the theme? Can you easily spot your beginning? And your end? A good beginning is very important to you. Make sure that it’s not overlooked. It has to set the scene, and the tone. It has to lay out your credibility as a speaker, and  it has to lay out the structure that you then follow.

Your structure is best kept simple. Aim to explore each point with all your supporting evidence, illustrations and stories. Summarise. Then explore your second point.

Summarise points one and two and then explore point three. Summarise points one two and three. Then you can conclude your presentation.

Your conclusion should be memorable. It’s what you want your audience to take home with them. Your presentation's conclusion can take many forms: A wide-ranging summary. A call to action. Inspiration. A historical reference.  Humour. One thing is certain. It won't be rushed; it's your final opportunity to make your points memorable and it's got to be thought through.

Most presenters will use a combination of at least two of these when they conclude. If you intend to read from a script, then make sure that your copy is printed in a legible font and a readable typeface.

Start each sentence on a new line. It will help with your pauses and your breathing. If you have several pages in your script, then number them so they don’t get mixed up.

If you intend to use cue cards, then keep the words brief and bold on each card. The odd word or phrase will prompt you. And that’s all you need.

You could try a mind map. A picture gram or an illustration to prompt you. Pictures can prompt you much more easily than mere words.

If you intend to use a PowerPoint slide deck, then make sure that there’s not too much detail on each slide. Use pictures and images wherever possible.

Bullets can be used best to signal the direction of your argument or the point that you have just made.

Now that you are organised, it’s a good time to plan for the inevitable questions from your audience.