As leaders, we are often called upon to do public speaking. This might be at a town hall, in front of a large audience, or addressing a group of our employees. In these moments, we are expected to do more than just present information—we are also tasked with being somewhat of a motivational speaker. While we may not need to be professional motivational speakers, we do need to bring some flair to our presentations.

A way I remember how to approach this challenge is through a story—one that has no basis in fact whatsoever—about the Vicar of Wickerscope. In my mind, the vicar, from a small church in England, was a very eloquent speaker, and his eloquence was based on five key elements. To help me remember these elements, I use the acronym VICAR—even though there was no actual Vicar of Wickerscope, this helps me keep these principles in mind.

Here’s what VICAR stands for:

Clarity: First and foremost, you need to have a clear message. Don’t try to include everything you know or feel about a topic. Be succinct and ensure you have a focused, clear idea of what you want to communicate. This is the most important part—everything begins with clarity.

Visuals: Use visuals to enhance your message. These can be physical visuals, like images or slides, but they can also be mental visuals—painting pictures with your words. Whether it’s something shown on a screen or a vivid description, visuals help people engage with your message.

Involvement: Engage your audience. In today’s world, there are many tools available that make it easy to involve people, such as multi-voting apps. Asking the audience questions and showing live results on the screen allows them to actively participate. People enjoy being part of the presentation, and it makes your speech more effective.

Anecdotes: Use stories and anecdotes to illustrate your points. People connect with stories, whether they are directly related to your topic or used as a metaphor. These anecdotes bring your message to life and help make it more memorable.

Relevance: Make sure that what you’re saying is relevant to the audience. Think about what will resonate with them and add value to their experience. This is key in ensuring your message lands.

When preparing for a presentation, I always quickly review the VICAR framework: Do I have visuals (V)? Is there audience involvement (I)? Is my message clear (C)? Have I included anecdotes (A)? And finally, is the message relevant to my audience (R)?

If you bring these five elements together, your presentation is likely to be engaging and impactful.