3 Compelling Reasons to Start Your Presentation With an Outline

Here’s a tip that could change the way you think about creating presentations: start with an outline in Word or Google Docs.

I know it’s tempting to immediately hop into PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides to start building a new presentation. It might seem like that saves time, but in fact, it’s potentially slowing down the process.

Instead, start with an outline so you’re able to iron out all the details before you put your final story together.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works and three reasons you should keep deck building out of the equation when you’re in the early stages of crafting a presentation.

1. You’ll Get Approvals More Easily
2. You’ll Save Time
3. You’ll Get Valuable Insights
4. Next Steps

1. You’ll Get Approvals More Easily

It’s a lot easier to get approval and sign-off when you share your presentation as an outline first. It’s seen as a work in progress rather than a final deck.

Here’s why: Some people or organizations will see a polished presentation as a fully baked idea—as though the initiative is set in stone. Leading some people to think that there is no longer an opportunity to contribute to the initiative in this “final” form.

The end result could be pushback—sending you right back to the drawing board, which leads us to the next point …

2. You’ll Save Time

Starting with an outline doesn’t just save you time spent incorporating feedback and trying to get approvals on a full-blown deck. The process itself is also faster and smoother when you start with big-picture ideas in an outline.

Here’s how it works: As you outline your presentation, think about the context, content, and flow. Focus on each “chapter” of your story, if you will—just your thoughts on each element of the overarching idea you want to present, without visuals. When it’s in outline format all on the same page, it’s easier to see how one idea flows into the next.

It’s like when you’re writing a college paper. You start with an outline—an introduction, a thesis statement, and a rough sense of what the body paragraphs will include. Then you fill in the details.

It’s no different when you’re planning a presentation. And ultimately, you’ll find that this exercise takes much less time than trying to plot it all out while you’re constructing a polished deck right off the bat.

3. You’ll Get Valuable Insights

By holding off on socializing a polished presentation, you may actually gain valuable insights from your team that play into your final deck.

As your colleagues review your outline, they will appreciate how much easier it is to review your ideas rather than a finished product. They’ll have an opportunity to say, “We can see where you were going with this; we just need you to flesh out the details in these few areas in order for us to approve it.” Or “This would be a great spot for an infographic or a graph to support your idea,” and any other feedback that helps you craft your deck.

You can then take what you’ve learned and include it in your final presentation. The next time your coworkers and stakeholders see the presentation with their ideas and feedback implemented, they’ll feel a sense of shared ownership and an eagerness to help sell your initiative and achieve your goals.

Next Steps

Just remember, the path of least resistance is always a more effective strategy. Using an outline as a tool to sell your ideas gets everyone involved in the process, helping you to craft the right message. And it increases the chance of getting sign-off on your final deck before you even start building it.

I know that can feel daunting when you’re just starting out with presentation design. I’m happy to sit down and brainstorm your outline together to help get the ball rolling. Schedule a call and let’s get started.