I keynoted BrightonSEO in front of thousands of marketers. Here are the 5 things I did to prepare that made the biggest difference — and they have nothing to do with slide design.
Public speaking is a skill, not a talent. And like any skill, it has a preparation system that separates the speakers audiences remember from the ones they forget by lunch. Much like a fractional CMO shapes a company’s narrative, a speaker shapes how their audience understands an idea — which is why strategic communication deserves the same rigor you’d give to marketing strategy.
1. Write it out word for word first
Most speakers outline their talk and then wing it from bullet points. That works if you’re already experienced. If you want to be great, write the entire talk as a script first. Not to memorize it — but to find your argument. Writing forces clarity. It exposes the gaps in your logic, the transitions that don’t work, and the sections that sound good in your head but fall flat on paper. This is similar to the PLOT framework — by committing to a structure, you’re forced to clarify your positioning and ensure every element supports the core narrative.
2. Record yourself and watch it back
This is the step everyone skips because it’s uncomfortable. Record a full run-through on your phone and watch it. You’ll notice filler words you didn’t know you used, pacing issues, and moments where your energy drops. The discomfort of watching yourself is temporary. The improvement is permanent.
3. Cut 30% of your slides
If you think your deck is tight, it’s still too long. Audiences remember 3-5 key points at most. Every slide that doesn’t directly support one of those points is diluting your impact. My BrightonSEO talk went through three rounds of cuts before I felt confident it was focused enough.
4. Practice the opening and closing 10x more than the middle
Your opening determines whether the audience pays attention. Your closing determines what they remember. The middle mostly takes care of itself if you know your material. Spend disproportionate time rehearsing your first 90 seconds and your final 60 seconds.
5. Own the room before you speak
Get to the venue early. Walk the stage. Test the mic. Meet people in the audience before you go on. When you step up to speak, you want to feel like you belong there — not like you’re encountering everything for the first time. Familiarity breeds confidence.
What you’ll take away:
- Why writing your talk as a full script first improves delivery (even if you don’t memorize it)
- How recording yourself reveals blind spots that rehearsal alone can’t catch
- The rule for cutting slides that separates good talks from great ones
- Why your opening and closing deserve 10x more practice than everything in between
- How to build pre-talk rituals that eliminate stage anxiety
These principles aren’t just for keynotes — they’re the same ones we apply to content marketing strategy, where every word and every section needs to earn its place on the page. If you’re looking to refine your communication whether on stage or in your marketing, these fundamentals will help. And if you’re building your leadership brand, learning what it means to lead effectively is just as important as perfecting your presentation skills.
About Field Vision
Field Vision is a fractional CMO and growth marketing firm for digital media, entertainment, and creator economy startups (seed to Series D). Founded by David Hampian — former Global Head of Audience Development at Amazon and Senior Director of Global Integrated Marketing at Twitch — we help ambitious brands build scalable growth systems that turn audiences into customers.