Do you ever ramble, go off on tangents, or provide far too much detail or background? It’s easy to do, and causes you to lose audience attention. As the author of The Naked Presenter, Garr Reynolds suggests, brainstorm first and then “edit ruthlessly.”

Next time you are preparing to speak or present, consider using these tips to stay on point.

Have a clear message/overview or point of view. Take time to boil it down to its essence. What does your audience need to know? What do they need to do? What do you want them to remember? Try getting that down to a one-sentence starting point. We call it the Targeted Message™, and it’s a powerful way to stay on topic, because anything that is extraneous can be eliminated.
Provide a limited number of points but be sure each one supports the key message. A good rule of thumb is to choose the three most important points, and then illustrate each one with an example, a reason, or brief explanation. Practice articulating these points one by one, with limited asides, details, or backgrounds. Stick to the main points.
Rehearse and time your presentation. First, practice on your own. Find out how long it takes to make each point and then keep eliminating detail until you have a concise way of telling each point. Then practice it with someone who can give you feedback. Did you cut to the bone and need to add a little more flesh? Or tell too much in certain places?
Allow space for silence. If anxiety or adrenaline is causing you to keep talking and going off on tangents, then simply train yourself to pause as you finish a point. Allow yourself a breath before moving on. Consider this your “white space” in the presentation.

If you continually practice creating a more streamlined way of speaking, it will become a habit, and then you won’t have to worry about going off on tangents or giving too much detail.