The ‘it’ method is a five-step process: brain it, group it, trim it, spice it, do it. 

• Brain it This is your chance to be creative – write down everything and anything that relates to your subject. Use a mind map or sticky notes to capture your thoughts. Don’t be too concerned about relating all of your ideas or whether you even plan to use them all. Just capture them at this stage; you’re going to edit them later  

• Group it Now take a step back. Group your ideas into categories and themes. Do not force every idea into a category – some will be left over. Give each group a name and then ask yourself: which group do I want to communicate to the audience first, second, third and so on. Use no more than five groups; ideal presentations will use three

• Trim it Now simplify your notes: trim the ideas within each group and put them into a logical order. Ensure the benefits and any action you wish to be taken as a result is clear to the listener

• Spice it The purpose of spice is to build impact, aid retention and otherwise liven things up. Don’t forget that the beginning and end of your presentation are key opportunities to grab your audience’s attention. Things you might add to spice things up include stories, audio, video, facts, quotes and relevant anecdotes 

• Do it Now all the planning has been done, you are ready to write and edit before developing any visuals to accompany you. 

It may seem like a lot of hard work, but the end result will be worth it as presentations are one of the most powerful communication methods. And great presentations are designed, not just written.