Begin with a purpose statement and limit it to the primary goal you plan to accomplish in your speech. Your statement should be guided by the following considerations:

• Is my purpose statement clear?

• Can I accomplish my goal in the time allotted?

• Is my purpose relevant to the audience?

• Is my purpose too technical or too simple for the audience?

After you have finalized your purpose statement, list down your main talking points. Bear in mind that your audience is only likely to remember two or three things you say. So don’t try and cram your presentation with content. Stick to two or three main points and don’t try to fit in everything you know.

Retention of information by the audience is reduced as a talk proceeds, so if you do want to make a series of points, organize them from the most to the least important. That way, the audience is more likely to remember the important points later.

Preparing your presentation 

Your opening remarks set the tone of the whole presentation. Audiences make up their minds very quickly. If you don’t capture the audience’s attention immediately, it’s unlikely they’ll listen carefully to the rest of your speech. Be creative with your introduction. Using a question as an opener causes the listener to stop and think. Once you have their attention, your message can help them answer the question. Obviously, any of these openings must be relevant to your message, or they will confuse your listeners. Once you have their attention, it’s time to relate your main message.

It would be best to flow the presentation from the general to the more specific and from the known to the unknown. Use transition elements which will help your audience to follow the link from one issue to the next in order to avoid losing your audience. If you’re presenting statistics, facts or numbers, space them out. Even better, relate the facts and figures to something familiar. Instead of saying "twenty five of all people will.....", say "One out of every four of you will...".

The conclusion of your speech is where you summarize the main points in a sentence or two, then state your main message. Like your introduction, make your conclusion something your audience will remember. If you are asking for a decision, urging action or leaving them with a key thought in mind, now is the time to do it.

A few more pointers to take into consideration when drafting your presentation are as follows:

1. Learning climate should be prioritized over content. A desirable learning climate is enhanced by interactivity and connections among members in the teaching/learning environment. Content matters little if the climate is not conducive to learning.

2. Each learner is unique. Attention grabbing strategies will differ from one person to another.

3. Emotions are critical to learning. Audiences who are emotionally stimulated by your lecture will retain more information.

4. Demonstration or modeling of learning is a big help. As Confucius says: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and understand".

5. Learning is state-dependent. Learning will not happen when the audience is not focused on what is being taught.

To practice is to do something regularly. Perfect is the best you can be.

In the days leading up to your presentation, rehearse your speech. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Tape yourself — on audio or video — and listen or watch the results with a critical ear and eye. Try the presentation out in front of colleagues or friends, and get their feedback. Revise and improve as needed.

On the day of your speech, arrive early so you can walk around the stage, look out on the room where you’ll be speaking, test the microphone, adjust the lights, and in general, increase your feeling of readiness.

You owe it to your audience to give them their money’s worth.

By the way, I am inviting leaders in the field of education, civil sector, local government agencies to attend our forthcoming Multisector Leadership Conference on May 25 to 27 at Teachers Camp in Baguio City. Aptly entitled "Education Agenda for Change" with the theme "Winning Strategies in Providing the Missing Links in Learning and Community Engagement". For details please call 02-374-0973 (Manila) or 074 -446-9866. I assure you that your participation will be well worth the investment of your time and resources.