Presentation Script Writing Training in London

Is writing a script for your presentation a necessity

In a word, yes, it is necessary. Especially if you’re a beginner or a novice. Simply getting up at the podium and relying on the text of your slides and your memory to see you through is not a sound approach.

When you rehearse your presentation, you may remember every detail perfectly and hit all your points eloquently. But when you stand up in front of a large audience and your nerves kick in, your memory might suffer a bit. And if you’re unaccustomed to delivering speeches in front of large crowds, relying on memory can be particularly debilitating.

Furthermore, reading off of your slides is a bad presentation practice. Depending on your delivery and stage setup, you can glance at them occasionally and gesture to them when pointing out a graphic or specific point. This comes more naturally if you’re walking freely around a stage rather than standing behind a podium. If, however, you turn your back to the audience to refer to your slides too much, it severs the connection you have with your listeners, prompting them to tune out.

That’s why the Presentation Experts highly recommend writing a script, even if it’s an outline. We cover script wiring in our presentation training, so you’ll learn how to tackle presentation scripts and make them work for you.

Our tips for writing presentation scripts

You’ll learn the fundamentals of great script writing in our presentation training. Our best tips are using a storyboard, harmonising your slide content, adding pauses, practicing, and knowing when you actually need a script.

Storyboard – Lay out the basic content of your slides and your speech before sitting down to write the script. Designing your slides after writing your speech seems like the best way to prepare, but it will only make integrating your slide design with your presentation more difficult. Plan both aspects together.

Harmonise Your Slide Content – If you’ve already storyboarded your slides and your speech, then connecting the two shouldn’t be a big challenge. The info you place on your slides should be the bedrock of your presentation. If your script doesn’t address the points on your slides, it will leave your audience confused.

Add Pauses – People often write presentation scripts like they write articles or essays, which are meant to be read silently. Since scripts are meant to be spoken aloud, they should be written as such. Include breaks for pauses, as well as other non-verbal cues.

Practice, Practice, Practice – Rehearse your script while going through your slides to see how it flows. Rewrite the parts that don’t work or sound clunky. Practice again, and keep rewriting if necessary. Deliver your presentation in front of friends or colleagues as well, to have feedback.

Write the Right Script for You – Sometimes, having an outline of your main points is better for presentation delivery than writing a speech word-for-word. If you’re a seasoned speech-giver, then you might find this method more efficient for you. Ultimately, you should evaluate your talents and experience at presenting, as well as the context you’ll be presenting in, to determine the best approach to script writing.

In addition to script writing, our presentation training includes coaching, guided presentation designing, and presentation skills development.