Effective speech preparation begins with a clean sheet of paper. Start by writing the title of your talk at the top, followed by a one-sentence description of its purpose or objective. This sentence should clearly define the "job" your talk has to do. Next, engage in a "down dump" of every idea, insight, phrase, statistic, example, or illustration that could potentially be used in the talk. Write as much as you can, sometimes filling up two or three pages of notes.

From these notes, begin selecting particular elements and arranging them in a logical sequence to create a talk that flows smoothly from beginning to end. This process allows you to generate a wealth of ideas when you force yourself to write 20, 30, or even 50 points that you feel would be appropriate for your talk.

For example, consider the story of a speaker who was asked to give a 90-minute talk at a company event. They started with a clean sheet of paper, wrote the title of their talk, and then performed a down dump of ideas. They filled up several pages of notes, which they then used to create a talk that seamlessly incorporated the company's themes, concerns, competitive challenges, and future directions. The president of the company later praised the speaker for delivering one of the best talks she had ever heard.

Another example is the PREP formula, which can be used to organize each point in your presentation. The formula consists of four steps: Point of View, Reasons, Example, and Point Restated. By following this formula, you can ensure that your talk is well-structured and easy for your audience to follow.

In conclusion, effective speech preparation involves starting with a clean sheet of paper, writing the title and objective of your talk, and performing a down dump of ideas. By organizing these ideas into a logical sequence, you can create a talk that flows smoothly and captivates your audience.