Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

Delivering a successful presentation requires careful preparation. Next time you’re getting ready to present, follow these three steps.

1. Create a clear narrative. Don’t start by creating slides. First get your story down, and design slides or collect data to illustrate that compelling narrative.

2. Do a dry run. Read through the slides aloud. Do it seated in front of your computer screen so that you don’t have to think about your body language.

3. Rehearse without slides. Finally, do a run-through while standing in a vacant conference room without your slides. This will allow you to concentrate on the story, as well as your eye contact, gestures, posture, and voice.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Learning Presenting Skills by Learning to Swim” by Jerry Weissman.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, be sure to check out the new book Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, based on HBR’s Management Tip of the Day.