Toastmasters International -How to Outline Your Presentation

Man writing on a whiteboard with sticky notes

You’ve completed your research. You have some good ideas for content and messaging. Putting it all together, however, seems overwhelming. This is where an outline comes in. A well-developed outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and stay focused. It’s an anchor for your presentation.

Your outline is driven by the main idea of your speech—the one-sentence summary that encapsulates your larger message, also known as the thesis. The rest of your speech supports the main idea. That single sentence sets the tone for the entire speech and can make developing an outline much easier. If you have copious information or a variety of ideas to whittle down, start by asking yourself the following questions:

What is the theme or main point of my speech?
What are the three outstanding themes/areas I discovered in my research?
What areas are startling, surprising, or may be of greatest interest to my audience?

Your outline also serves as a visual framework for your speech and shows the relationship between your points. If your speech sounds disjointed or does not flow smoothly, go back and re-examine the order in which you’re presenting your information. It may look good on paper, but sound awkward upon delivery.

Structure the Ingredients

An effective speech contains an introduction, body, and conclusion. Beyond these three broad areas, an outline is a means of organizing your content in the most impactful way. Nichola Gutgold, professor of communication arts and sciences at Pennsylvania State University, offers these suggestions to make the most of each section: “An introduction should have four ingredients: startling the audience, revealing your topic, establishing your credibility, and previewing your topic,” she says. “The body can be organized in many different ways—cause and effect, problem/solution, topical. The written outline would list what your main points are.” And finally, finish strong. “Go back to your introduction. If you asked a question in the intro, startle the audience so there is a sense of resolution. Wrap it up creatively.”

You should leave your audience feeling satisfied, energized, and better informed at the end of your speech.

Develop a Speaking Outline

Once you have your main point and supporting information, it’s a matter of putting the information in the best order to keep the audience’s attention.

Gutgold suggests developing one outline with details about the speech’s main points, and a second one consisting of key words rather than complete sentences. “Your speaking outline is meant to prompt,” she said. “When a speaker writes full sentences in an outline, it’s tempting to just read from it.” Instead, populate the speaking outline with key words and phrases that can jog your memory should you lose your place or get distracted during the presentation.

Jenny Wang, a life coach based in Boca Raton, Florida, said for her, it’s about not getting overwhelmed. In her earliest speeches, Wang said she scripted every word. Scripting can be an unnecessary stressor if you feel you have to learn your entire speech verbatim. There’s also less spontaneity and authenticity.

Wang has since relaxed her approach. “Now, for Toastmasters, I prepare to an extent, though my insights are, ‘Just speak up with some simple guidelines.’” Wang uses many of the resources provided by Toastmasters to organize her outline and complete speech, including the Toastmaster magazine and The Better Speaker Series.

Crafting a solid outline with engaging talking points provides a clear roadmap to the message you want to convey. Gutgold also stresses the importance of rehearsal. “If you practice enough times, the speaking outline will be enough. Practice is really what separates speakers who are good from those who are great,” Gutgold said. “Great speakers will really engage with the material because they know it very well.”

A strong speech should include a clear main topic, with supporting ideas, points, or anecdotes, delivered in a comfortable, compelling manner.

“I really do think a good outline is key,” says Gutgold.