Build your talk around one clear core message

When I helped an engineering team present a new platform to executives, their slides overflowed with feature specs. The audience glazed over. I challenged them: ‘What’s the one thing those VPs should remember?’ They stumbled, then muttered, ‘Faster integration times.’ We crystallized that into, ‘Our platform cuts integration from weeks to hours.’ Suddenly, the outline fell into place—Setup the pain of weeks-long delays, demo the hours-long fix, and close with ROI math. At the actual meeting, the CEO echoed our elevator sentence back to us—proof we hit the nerve.

Business psychologist Chip Heath says people tune out when they can’t see the forest for the trees. That elevator test is your compass. Then, carving your narrative into three acts aligns with how our working memory loves patterns—simple chunks that hold powerful meaning. You don’t dangle your thesis at the end; you plant it front and center, so every story beat resonates back to that core.

Paradoxically, editing can feel agonizing—cutting your own baby down to three points—but it creates space for genuine impact. Think of it as sculpting; you chip away marble until the statue emerges.

Next time you plan a talk, start by writing that one-sentence thesis. Build your outline around it, and don’t let a single sub-point survive unless it reverberates back to that nucleus.

You’ll pen your one-sentence pitch and force every point to support it. Then, wield your red pen mercilessly, deleting slides and talking points that stray. This tight focus will transform rambling decks into powerful, three-act narratives destined to land.