How do I remember what to say in a presentation?

Cheat. I’m serious. You need to cheat.

The reality is that it’s hard work to memorize a presentation. If you are like me, you already have enough hard work in your life, so let’s not add to the list. Don’t waste time memorizing. But you need a solution for remembering all of your key points that is easy for you and also helps your audience. You reading a speech word for word is easy for you, but it creates a painful and boring experience for your audience—not a win-win solution.

But even notes have their potential flaws, so you must use them in a very specific way in order for your audience to see you as believable, authentic, and authoritative. I never give a presentation anywhere without using notes, but I create the illusion that I’m not using notes. How is this done? It’s easy if you follow these simple rules: