There's a lovely saying in public speaking, courtesy of the former British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan:
- If you have made three points in a speech, you've made two too many
Which tells us, loud and clear, that every talk, presentation, or speech should have one fundamental core message.
Take the greats, like Martin Luther King, and his extraordinary I Have A Dream speech.
Reduced to its essential message, what was it?
- Equality
Or John F Kennedy and Ich bin ein Berliner:
- Freedom
The lesson being to never give a talk unless you’re absolutely clear on its fundamental message.
But from there grows a question: how to ensure that message comes across, loud and clear?
To help, there’s an old trick we can learn from a saying in the teaching profession:
– Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you’ve told them
That maxim effectively describes the technique of signposting.
In public speaking and presentations, signposts do exactly the same as physical signposts on the street:
They tell you where you’re going, and highlight important points.
For example, in terms of location signposts, you might say:
Let me start by talking about…
As we reach the midpoint of this talk…
So, in conclusion…
But more interesting are the signposts which point out the most important messages.
And this is where the teachers’ trick comes in handy.
Say I was addressing you about the power of less is more in communication, the ability to make more impact for less work.
(And what’s not to like about that?!)
If you don’t believe how incredibly effective it is, look up the iconic Gettysburg Address, see how long it was, and learn the lesson.
I might introduce the concept by saying:
- And now one of my absolute favourite guidelines in the world of communications, the wonderful principle of less is more
See how that signposts something important is coming?
Then I'll go on to talk about less is more, perhaps with reference to the Gettysburg Address.
Finally, when I reveal just how long (or not: hint, hint!) the Gettysburg Address is, I might say:
- Think about that for a moment. Isn’t it extraordinary? Such great impact for so few words
That captures the combination of the teachers’ trick and signposting:
- Say what you’re going to say, say it, and then say you’ve said it
A forward signpost, the profound statement itself, and a reverse signpost pointing back to the critical message.
In conclusion, this technique is wonderfully summed up in the words of a master of great communication, Sir Winston Churchill:
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver.
Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
