VERBAL SIGNPOST HOW TO

But your audience may reach a different conclusion altogether! And this approach risks losing your audience’s attention and engagement. Many speakers present their evidence first, and then expect the audience to reach the same conclusion that they’ve reached. Avoid acronyms or industry-specific terminology so that you can be certain that everyone understands.īut wait, what is evidence? When should you give evidence?Įvidence is the proof of your thesis/message. And, unfortunately, many speakers never actually state their message! We’ve had many clients come to us and say, “I was at a conference yesterday, and I don’t know what any of the speakers’ messages were!” You don’t want to be THAT speaker.Īnd remember: use simple language as you state your message. Why? Because audiences often lack the patience to wait until the end of your talk to hear what it is they should take away from it. Your message, and delivering it in the first minute of your talk, is a necessity if you’re going to be the most effective speaker you can be. Tip #2: State your message in the first minute of your talk. A statement of intent is great and usually it should precede your message. Examples include: “What I’d like you to remember today is _,” or quite simply, “Here’s my message to you today.” A verbal signpost that precedes a message is almost always stated in the present tense.Ī statement of intent, on the other hand, is usually stated in the future tense, such as, “What I will discuss today is _.” Statements of intent help to manage expectations, they set the stage, and they often go hand-in-hand with your message. A verbal signpost is a word or a phrase that adds direction and clarity to your talk.

VERBAL SIGNPOST HOW TO

Here’s how to decide what your message is: if your audience were to leave your presentation remembering only one thing, what would you want them to remember? That’s your message.Ĭhoose a verbal signpost to introduce your message. Many people confuse a message with evidence or with a statement of intent. What is a message? Is it the same as a statement of intent? What IS a statement of intent, anyway? Today, let’s address one of the most important verbal skills: what IS a message, and when should you deliver it? So far we’ve been sharing mostly non-verbal skills with you. Now you’ve learned about the importance of posture and natural gestures, pausing and where to look.

Verbal signpost