When you start preparing a presentation, don’t you dare start by opening PowerPoint. Mull over these three questions first:

1. Who are you talking to?
2. What do you want them to do?
3. Why should they care?

Ask these questions because a good presentation doesn’t happen in the head of the speaker, it happens in the heads of the audience. Get in their heads. If you can’t get in their heads now, what makes you think you’ll be able to get in their heads later? And if you can’t get in their heads, how are you going to get them to do what you want them to do? And if you can’t get them to do what you want them to do, why are you wasting your time and theirs?