NEWS ALERT:

You have something important to say.

 Here are some tips to ensure that your ideas are heard.

Why?

• Attention spans are short
• People are inundated with information
• Your ideas need to stand out
• Focusing your point/purpose will help you hit your target

One of my favorite movies from the 1980s is “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”.  Little did I realize that it was teaching me valuable lessons on how to be an effective speaker.

The humor and sarcasm of Steve Martin in his scenes with John Candy are memorable, priceless and often times, instructive.

This fun quote from the movie applies to all Toastmasters.

“Here’s a good idea. Have a point.  It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!”

Steve Martin’s Pointed Clip

What?

For decades, the objectives of Project # 3 in the Toastmaster communication manual emphasized that the speaker should strive to organize their speech with a focused and precise purpose. The project was later named “Get to the Point”.

Objectives of “Get to the Point” speech:

1. Determine your general purpose
2. Focus in on your specific purpose.
   • What does the audience really need to hear?
3. Organize your speech so that the opening, body and conclusion all tie into and reinforce the purposes.

Interestingly, when I researched and found the archives of Ralph Smedley’s  “Basic Training for Toastmasters”manual from 1956, the concepts and techniques outlined are still relevant and applicable today.

How?

• Give the headline (point/purpose) up front.
• Early in the speech, provide the audience with a roadmap of where you are taking them.
• Bring stories and supporting items together to reinforce the larger, single message.
• Use an outline or a framework (a plan on which to hang your words).
  • For example, I find the acronym PRES helpful.
    • P- Point
    • R- Reason
    • E- Example
    • S- Summary
• Frame the central idea so that no matter what, the audience will remember that.
• Strive to have the closing statement link back to the opening (like book ends).

I had something important to share with you and it is my hope that my point was clear and that I made it mildly interesting along the way!