CHAPTER 5

Writing Your Speech

The Work Can Begin

So, now you have it: a concise objective written on a sticky note and stuck where you can’t fail to see it. Now it’s time to write a script.

“What?”

Yes. Write a script.

“But I thought you did the slides first!”

Nope. Write a script. We will certainly come to slides in due course. But they come later; you may ask why.

“OK, why?

Well, slides are there to illustrate what you are trying to communicate, and indeed they have a big influence on how you are remembered. But they are support for your message. They are not the message.

“But Bill from accounts had great slides at the last company event.”

Yes, he did, and you’ll have great slides too; we’re just not going to work on them now. At this point ...

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