3 Secrets to a Killer Outline
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[00:00:00] I was listening to this talk one time. It was given by a cool looking guy. He was dressed the part. He had fab hair. He had great teeth. The talk was an absolute train wreck. Within a few minutes, I was bored. I was bored out of my brain. I wasn't sure where we were going. And by about [00:00:15] halfway through, I didn't actually care anymore.
I just wanted it to end. Compare that to another occasion where I was listening to a talk by a slightly crazy looking woman with wild hair and strange clothes. And on the outside, she was a bit of a mess, but the entire room hung on her every word. She skillfully navigated [00:00:30] us on this journey of a message.
You know, I've had the same experiences with books and films and presentation. Content obviously is king, but what you say or write is absolutely critical in the way that it's structured. One of the key foundational things that [00:00:45] many authors and speakers and presenters Miss is that the outline is critical to delivering the content.
In today's episode, I want to help you crack the code of writing an outline and give you three secrets to creating a killer outline that will change the way you write a book, a presentation, a podcast, [00:01:00] a blog post, a YouTube video, anything. And stick around to the end. I've got a free giveaway for you.
Let's discuss.
[00:01:15] Welcome to the raw leader. My name is Simon Holly and my aim is for you to get your message out so that you can speak, write, coach or lead with less stress, more clarity and greater impact. Thank you so much for joining me [00:01:30] today. We are talking about cracking the code three secrets to a killer outline for your book, your video, your talk, or anything.
But first, why is outlining important? Why is it such a key skill for anyone? What's the big deal about [00:01:45] outlining? I visited Tennessee in the States one year with my wife's family We stayed in a log cabin deep in the woods. It was heavy snow. And one afternoon, my 13 year old nephew and I decided to go on an adventure.
We went for a walk in the woods. We're out for a few minutes when he piped up, [00:02:00] How are we going to find our way back? I mean, it was pretty obvious to me. I was much older than him. Um, it felt like a silly question. And we can see the cabin, I said. And so I turned around to show him and noticed that even though we'd only been walking for about five minutes, you could [00:02:15] not see the cabin at all through the woods.
So I made the very reasonable decision, I thought, to, well, look, it's been lightly snowing. We'll just follow our footsteps back. And every now and again, we'll snap a branch on a tree and just easily we'll follow our way back. Well, it seemed like a [00:02:30] good idea, at least to a 13 year old. And so off we went.
We had a great walk for an hour or two, and then it was time to turn back. But what I noticed is that the snow, which had been light when we set out was now pretty heavy. And suddenly I realized what a stupid plan I'd made because the tracks were covered in [00:02:45] about five minutes time. And When you looked, every other tree had a broken branch and there was a rising sense of panic.
It was a steep hill. So we knew that we roughly had to walk downhill. Um, and we did that. I mean, as we went on and on, I [00:03:00] started to panic that we were gonna overshoot that cabin and get completely lost in hundreds and hundreds of acres of woodland. But fortunately we found the cabin. I think it was more by luck than judgment.
When you're preparing a talk or a book or a blog without an outline, it's [00:03:15] just like that. It is so easy to get lost in a maze of trees. So outlining is your map. Everything hangs on it. And I just want to very quickly give you five specific benefits. The first one is it saves you time. When I didn't outline, I would just start at the beginning [00:03:30] and work to the end.
I'd write 0. 1 and then two and three, but then I noticed that 0. 1 was way longer than it needed to be. I'd run out of space for 0. 3 or whatever it might be. I'd wasted. hours preparing material that I then had to spend hours editing down and hacking out. I just [00:03:45] couldn't use it because it just didn't fit.
Outlining helps you avoid that and saves you so much time. Secondly, it keeps you focused. It helps you to say what you need to say to avoid rabbit trails because you've knocked them all out in the outline. Thirdly, it aids memory. You [00:04:00] know, there's, there's lots of things that aid memory. Stories, illustrations, but structure is one of them. Others can follow the logic of the argument that you're making, and that helps them to remember what you've said or what you've written. Fourthly, it provides a map for your readers or listeners.
A [00:04:15] good outline doesn't give good information. Just you a good map. It gives them a map. So let's them focus and relax while you're speaking or while they're reading when a speaker's got no structure or a book's got no real structure. However, [00:04:30] engaging the content is so easy for your mind to drift when you're on a walk.
And you've got a map, you're also looking for landmarks. And, and when someone's speaking or you're reading something they've written, you need the same thing. It's slightly easier with books because they've got a known structure called chapters, but it's [00:04:45] still key to have those chapters organized in a logical way and to have outlines within those chapters so that they hang together and make sense.
And lastly, it maximizes impact. It gives you the right weight in the right places. I've seen people [00:05:00] speak and spend so long on the introduction. They literally had no time left really for their content. I've read books where you really bought the book for one key chapter. And that was a chapter that they short changed it.
It was just way too short. Outlining helps you to avoid that. All right. I hope I've convinced you [00:05:15] that learning to outline is such a key skill here. Then are the three key secrets. Firstly, start with outline. You're outlining your why. I talked about this on episode two on four things you must know before writing a book checking out on the rawleader.
com forward [00:05:30] slash blog forward slash double o two before you create anything whether it's a book or talk or a video you've got to know your why Simon Sinek famously said it didn't he find your why he was talking about the big picture for your life but it applies to everything why are you creating this piece you've got to start [00:05:45] there don't start just writing start with your why outline your why and here's a simple structure firstly the person who is this for Who is the audience?
Secondly, the problem, what's it going to help them achieve or change or become? And then thirdly, the [00:06:00] process, how is it going to help them? You know, I knew before creating this video that it was for those speakers and writers you've heard of outlining, but I've got no clue how to do it. That was my audience.
That was a problem I'm trying to, I'm trying to help to save, uh, to solve. And I'm going to give you the [00:06:15] process for how to do it. So to do this, take all of that, take all of your problems, your person, your process, and create your draft, your draft title. I say draft because it might change in the creation process, but don't let it be too [00:06:30] draft.
You want to work a little bit hard on it. You want it to be pretty close to what you're going to deliver. And make sure your title creates a bit of curiosity like this one, crack the code three secrets, see three secrets to a killer outline for your book, talk or anything. What questions does [00:06:45] that create for you?
What's the code? What are the secrets? Is there any, is there a way of outlining that helps with anything? Is that really possible? You know, I found creating these YouTube videos really helpful because it's such a tight format. You've got to really nail what you're trying to deliver in the title and the [00:07:00] thumbnail.
I've learned to actually create those first, you've got to really massage it to get it right. And it's the same with any piece of content, though. Whatever the format, get your title. What are you trying to deliver for the people? This is like your North Star on a, uh, that you would use when [00:07:15] you're out on a walk.
If you didn't have a compass, it guides you, um, gives you the right, the overall direction, and it saves you so much time. Otherwise it's just like a walk in the woods. You get lost in a sea of trees. The second, um, [00:07:30] uh, secret comes from this. I was reading a book one time. I had a great title, actually really catchy.
Couldn't wait to read it. But the more I read it, the more and more disappointed I got. The title was genius, but the book didn't deliver on it at all. I've been in talks [00:07:45] and read blogs and listened to podcasts all without the same problem. The premise, the title was amazing, the content not so much. So your second step is to outline your content.
You've got your North Star, you've got your title, you know what you're aiming for. Now you [00:08:00] need to make a roadmap. How will you deliver that? Some people, they do step one, they create the title, they know what they want to say, and then they just start writing. No, don't do that. You've got to outline the content.
This is like creating a guidebook for a walk. [00:08:15] There's a few essential things, isn't there, to a good walking guide. Firstly, it's the length. How long is this walk going to be? A little bit about the terrain, what we're going to, what we're going to cover. Secondly, what are the way points? What are the key points on the journey?
And thirdly, the interest. What interesting things will people see on [00:08:30] the way? No one wants to take a walk through an industrial park. So, here's how to outline your content. Firstly, the length. Decide how long it needs to be. And that's going to vary depending on the medium. If it's a book, then you're looking at 9 or 10 chapters, plus the intro [00:08:45] and conclusion.
If it's a talk, or a blog, or a YouTube video, you're looking really at 3 or 4 points. I mean, you can stretch that, but it's better. Best to use that as a guide, especially if you're starting out. Second thing, the waypoints. And to do this, just [00:09:00] brain dump everything you can think of. Brain dump every possible waypoint on, if you were to get someone from A to B, which is what you're trying to do in this, in this piece that you're producing, just do a brain dump.
What's every possible waypoint, every possible thing that they would need to know or [00:09:15] get to, uh, to do. On their journey and you can use AI chat. GPT is actually great outlines, get it to do the same. I'd encourage you start with your own brain dump first, because often you will think of stuff. And once you've seen the AI result, you [00:09:30] often can't kind of see past it.
So I would do your own brain dump first, learn from your knowledge first, sort of draw out your knowledge first. Then get chat GPT to do its stuff and get an outline from them. Compare what you got to what it comes up with and then reduce it. [00:09:45] The mistake most people make is to leave too much in. A good guide writer doesn't leave in every detail.
They select. That's what you're doing in this phase. You want to reduce it down. What's the bare minimum steps? What are the kind of minimum number of waypoints this is going to [00:10:00] need? And then combine all of those into your headline points. Those are the rough titles at this stage. That's where you edit out, you combine points so you end up with the right number.
You may even go back and tweak your title slightly if you realise that you want to focus on one [00:10:15] particular aspect. Sometimes you realise you've taken on too much in your title and you need to break it into multiple sections or multiple pieces of work. Then lastly, the interest. Once you've outlined, , each waypoint and you've got your list of waypoints, go [00:10:30] back on and bring it alive.
Add the interest. And you do that with stories, illustrations, quotations. Look, I'm not the only one saying this. Facts, statistics. Definition. Define words. I remember doing a talk once on [00:10:45] encouragement. And in the Q& A at the end, it was clear that one guy, he just was not getting it. He was actually the least encouraging person I think I knew.
And yet he was acting like he knew everything about encouragement. And it was really bugging me. So I asked him, How do you define encouragement? And he [00:11:00] was like, Oh, it's simple. Encouragement is telling people how to do things better. And you could see the penny drop around the room. Oh, okay. That explains a lot.
So sometimes you just need to define words, even words that you think should be self evident. [00:11:15] I know it sounds like a lot of work, but honestly, you'll be so glad you did it, it will save you so much time if you define your waypoints and then you add the interest to them. And the more that you practice outlining, the faster you'll get at it and the more time it will save you.
But [00:11:30] all of that is going to be wasted without this third secret. I was, um, uh, reading a book one time and it was, honestly, it was a bit dull. I didn't get much past the first chapter. Um, and then a while later, um, someone said, look, I've [00:11:45] read this book on, on Amazon and it was the same book I'd already read.
And I thought, I want to try it again. If it's that, if it's that good, they're recommending it. So I tried it again. Honestly, I got maybe a chapter and a half and it was just really dull. I put it, put it down. And then I met a third person. And he said, [00:12:00] look, that's so. strange that you found it so dull. We were talking about this book.
They said, it's amazing. They asked me, how far do you get? I was like, I don't know. First couple of chapters. Oh yeah. Okay. It's not great at the start, but it really picks up. So I tried it a third time and it was a great book. It [00:12:15] was really, really helpful. So that's my, my third secret is this outline your introduction, your conclusion, your introduction, your conclusion, and especially the introduction are such critical parts to bring the whole thing together.
The intro gains attention [00:12:30] and the conclusion gives people the next step. The introduction is possibly the most important part of anything, whether it's a book or a talk or a video or a blog post or a website, whatever it is, the intro is so, so critical. When I'm [00:12:45] coaching speakers, I say to them, by the time your intro is done, you have to establish two things.
Who are you? And why should I listen you listen to you? That's the unasked questions The audience won't say because they're too polite. Who are you and why should I listen to you? [00:13:00] It's the same with anything establish those two things. Let me break it down for you. Firstly Why should I listen to you take that one first?
You've got to establish your subject in the intro You've got to connect with a problem a pain or a person you've got to know what people have got to know Is this for them? [00:13:15] They've got to know that you're focused on helping them overcome something or become something. So You Why should I listen to you?
You've got to nail that in the intro. When, when I wrote my, um, uh, blog post, which became a YouTube video on overcoming the fear of public speaking, I spent a lot of [00:13:30] time in the intro connecting with the real pain that many feel, many face, um, with public speaking. And the second point, which is the first, who are you?
Authority and empathy are so key. What, what right do you have to speak on this subject? It doesn't mean to say you've got to have [00:13:45] a degree on the subject, although that does help. But it simply means. You can, you've overcome it. It can simply mean you've overcome that problem yourself, or even that you intend to, and here's how you plan to do it.
Often that hooks into your own story and which also builds [00:14:00] empathy. So, outline your intro, and then, uh, lastly, outline your conclusion. I mean, basically, the conclusion doesn't need to be long. You want to summarize what you've said and give a clear next step. Where does the reader, where does the listener go from here?
It [00:14:15] tends to be better to give just one thing to do. That tends to work better. So we have covered a lot. I hope that was helpful. I promised you a freebie. If you want my killer outline checklist, you can get it at the raw leader. com forward slash killer outline. Go there. You can [00:14:30] get that and download that for free.
Thank you so much for listening. If you're watching on YouTube, drop drop a comment. If you found it helpful. I'll reply to everyone. If you're on the podcast, please subscribe. It really helps support the channel. Hopefully I'll see you in another episode. Thanks so much for being with us.
[00:14:45] Yeah.
