Identify your rhetorical purpose. Your rhetorical purpose is your goal or mission. First, identify if your purpose is purely informative or if your purpose is also to persuade or convince the audience. Then identify the topic.
Profile your audience. If possible, conduct research to determine the makeup of the audience. For instance, ascertain the age, sex, education level, background or other relevant information, depending on your topic. Determine what the audience already knows about your topic, what the audience needs to know and what the audience wants to know.
Draft a summary of your topic that is organized by introduction, body and conclusion. In the introduction, provide a general overview of the presentation and set forth your thesis or purpose. Organize the body according to topic or idea to help the audience follow your presentation. If the material to be presented follows a chronological or linear pattern, arrange it in a way that makes sense. For instance, explain causes before effects. In the conclusion, synthesize your ideas and tie up loose ends. Restate your thesis or argument. Order your main points with Roman letters or capital letters.
Add a little color and flavor. Once you have drafted the substance of the summary, including all relevant information and factual detail, add a few jokes, fun facts, quotations or anecdotes here and there to engage the audience's interest. For instance, insert an interesting fact or quotation as the first sentence, which will capture the audience's attention from the start. Alternatively, begin with a brief personal anecdote that explains how or why the topic is meaningful to you or others. Only add material that you are able to synthesize with your topic.
Tailor the outline based on your particular needs. If you desire to read the summary directly from the page, skip this step. Otherwise, translate the summary into shorthand to make it easier to reference. Bold or underline sections of the outline. Translate text into bulleted lists when applicable. Highlight phrases or quotes that you want to repeat verbatim. Use your own methods to adapt the script to your personal preferences. Convert the outline to index cards if desired.
Test the outline for appropriate length. Set a timer or stop watch and use the outline to give the presentation. If the presentation is short, add content, in the form of extra details or added explanations and analysis, to the outline. If the presentation is long, make it more concise by removing unnecessary details or redundant sections.