There is a reason why news stories have headlines. They are the advertising for the story that follows, saying just enough to catch your attention, provide a spark of relevance, and make you want to read on.

Then comes the sentence that follows — the lede (in old newsroom parlance — not lead, as it’s often misspelled today). The lede tells you everything essential in a single breath.

“A bus crash on the Monash Freeway this afternoon resulted in the deaths of four people”.

In that one line, you know what happened, when and where it happened, and its tragic outcome. You’re also probably hooked – curious to find out why and how it happened.

This form of newswriting is called the ‘inverted pyramid’. All the value sits at the top, tapering off as you move down. The style emerged in the print era, when writers never knew how much space their story would get. Subeditors would trim from the bottom, and a good reporter made sure that nothing important was lost in the process.

It’s also incredibly effective at holding attention – and that’s something every presenter should aspire to.

When you’re building a presentation, especially for an audience that’s tired, busy, or distracted, start with the value. Tell people what matters most first, when they’re most alert and receptive. Hook them early, and they’ll stay with you for what follows – just like a strong news story.

The difference is that unlike a news article, your presentation needs to finish strong. That’s easy – just circle back to where you began. Remind your audience of the promise you made at the start and show how you’ve delivered on it.

The key difference with a presentation however is that you also want to finish strong. That’s easy – just go back to the start.

A good presentation doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be profound. But it does have to be engaging.

Borrowing from journalism might seem reductive, but after a couple of hundred years of refinement, it’s proven to work.