The fastest way to lose a room is to start talking before you’ve said anything worth hearing.

Whether you’re presenting to an audience of 1,000 or speaking to your own work group, the first words you choose determine whether your audience leans in or checks out. Over the years, I learned that fully scripted speeches kept me from connecting, reacting and speaking with authenticity.

What follows is the methodology I developed—a balance of structure, informality and clarity that helped me become a more effective presenter. If there’s interest, I’m happy to expand on any of these in detail. For now, here are the principles that shaped my approach:

• Grab from the beginning.

Start with a powerful sentence or a question that sets an emotional stage the audience can’t turn away from. A recent example came from a presentation to law enforcement officers on child abduction: “At one of the most difficult moments in any parent’s life, they call you. You become their hope.”

• Speak from the inside.

Charles Dickens once wrote, “Make me see.”

Facts and data are necessary, but they don’t move people on their own. Speak from inside the information—bring it to life, make it human, make it matter. Use slides or handouts for the heavier details, but speak to the story behind those details.

Americans love a story; give them one worth remembering.

• Just start.

When building your presentation, don’t obsess over the perfect beginning. Just start typing. Your first draft may look nothing like your final version—that’s a sign you’re refining your message, not a problem.

• Read it out loud.

Read your notes out loud. Better yet, read them to someone you trust or have them read your notes back to you. You’ll hear clarity issues and pacing problems you won’t catch on a screen.

• Block it.

Hand-draw two columns of blocks on a piece of paper:

Column One: Break your presentation into sections, and label each with a few key words that will become your notes.

Column Two: Decide which supporting bullets, facts or simple visuals will become your slides or handouts and just note what will be in the slides. This creates flow and structure without forcing you into a script.

Then start filling the blocks.

• Do not make the slides your notes.

Slides support your presentation. They are not your presentation.

Speak from your notes (large print, double-spaced), and let the slides reinforce what you’re saying. Never read from them; you can’t tell a meaningful story while narrating bullet points.

A visual image such as a photograph can be a great addition if it reinforces your opening theme or emotional hook.

• Close strong and quick.

Tie your closing sentence directly back to your opening. Keep it short, powerful and intentional—because once people sense you’re closing, their attention starts to drift.

Start with something worth hearing, and you’ll keep the room until the very end.

This article was previously published on LinkedIn by Mark Pizzi, the retired former president and COO of Nationwide Insurance. It is being republished here with his permission.