What makes a presentation great? If you examine videos from news shows, speeches and presentations throughout the years, a pattern starts to emerge. The clips that rise to the top of the pack adhere to a similar set of principles.

Bill McGowan has more than 25 years experience in television journalism and is a two-time Emmy Award winner. He is the founder and CEO of Clarity Media Group, a media coaching company, and currently serves as a media coach for LinkedIn, Facebook, CNBC, Time Inc. and others. In his book Pitch Perfect – How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time, McGowan lays out the seven traits stand-out presentations have in common.

Let’s take a look at his 7 Principles of Persuasion and how you can put them to work for you in your next presentation.

Principle #1 – An engaging headline

Start your presentation with a thought-provoking headline. When journalists write stories, they put their strongest point in the headline so it can’t be missed. Grab the audience’s attention by putting your best idea front and center. A good teaser statement should be short, inject a sense of intrigue and surprise people. It can then be discussed further with a couple of succinct follow-up points.

Don’t bury the lead, don’t resort to clichés and above all else, don’t start your pitch with an apology. Instead of drawing people’s attention towards something else they’d rather be doing, use your headline to make them want to know more. With a bit of work you can structure your own material into an attention-grabbing teaser statement, analogy or brief anecdote.

Principle #2 – Vivid visual images

In order to deliver a powerful pitch, you must visualize yourself as a film director and shape the story playing in the listener’s mind. Craft and engineer engaging stories that make people hang on your every word. Embedding visual images into your presentation will hold the listener’s attention.

Use analogies to put your data into context. Finding ways to convert dry facts into memorable visual images can be difficult, so take the time to fine-tune your story in a comfortable setting amongst friends before you unveil it at an important presentation. Trimming the story until it flows effortlessly, varying your pitch to dramatize what you say and avoiding polarizing topics such as politics or religion are some other tips to help improve your stories.

Principle #3 – Make it rich and brief

Boil down your presentation to the best points. If you bloat your message by adding filler words, you will end up with something bland and forgettable. Being concise is hard work and takes practice, but developing the habit of boiling down your messages into a few succinct points will turn you into a valued member of your team.

Never underestimate the value of brevity in any setting. Being brief works when delivering a speech, answering questions in a panel situation or pitching to a new client. Generally speaking, an audience’s attention will begin to drop off after approximately eighteen minutes, so time your message to stay within that limit. It is always best to leave the audience wanting more.

Principle #4 – Think, then talk

Slow down your speed of delivery, and eliminate filler words like um, you know, etc. Only speak briskly when you know exactly what needs to be said. When you take the time to think before you talk, you will come across as more engaged, more persuasive and more genuine. Instead of shooting from the hip, pausing to craft what you are going to say next instills confidence in your audience because you’re making sure to get things right.

Listening more and talking less validates people’s importance and makes them feel included, which in turn makes you stand out. When in doubt, stop talking. Getting into the habit of thinking before you talk is a bit of an art form. A good place to start is to record yourself giving a presentation. Play it back to see what filler words you commonly use and how often you lose your train of thought.

Principle #5 – Exude certainty

When you speak, it is vitally important that every part of you conveys certainty. Use your words, eye contact, posture, how you look and tone of voice to radiate conviction. Eliminating wishy-washy terms like “kind of” and “I think”, standing tall with your shoulders back and dressing for success will put you on the right track.

Exuding certainty is made easier when pre-speech jitters are handled in clever ways. Before an important speech or meeting, calm your nerves by getting to the venue ahead of time, visualizing success and remembering to breathe. Practicing the beginning of your speech over and over until you can deliver it with certainty will also help your confidence rise.

Principle #6 – Be insatiably curious

The key to a great presentation is curiosity. If you’re genuinely curious, you’ll be able to sustain important conversations with important people. First and foremost, good conversationalists are good listeners. McGowan writes, “In a business setting where everyone is talking, it’s the person who listens with curiosity who becomes the most noticeable.”

Display genuine interest in other people, and ask questions to learn more. Smile a lot and maintain strong eye contact. Listening carefully and attentively with a warm expression on your face will allow you to gain important snippets of information about people, which can be used to influence them in the future.

Principle #7 – Play to your strengths

Learning how to guide a discussion to play to your strengths is a critical skill involved in keeping your presentation on track. If your pitch becomes hijacked by a person wanting to discuss frivolous topics, there are ways to subtly put the conversation back on track, without making them feel strong-armed. Pay close attention to the beginning of their question while you formulate your response, mirror a part of the original question before diverting to safer topics and camouflage your cut off. People will go along with you if you deliver your diversion in the spirit of being frank and honest.

Approach your presentation and follow-up questions as if you are having a more relaxed discussion, rather than an interrogation. In order to be persuasive, you must always be looking for openings to point the conversation back in a positive direction that plays to your strengths.

Using the Principles of Persuasion to your advantage will fill you with the confidence needed to nail any presentation, regardless of the situation. By saying only what is most important, you will become more memorable and influential. Incorporating these seven principles into your next presentation will surely make you stand out from the crowd.

As George Washington Carver said, “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.”