It’s not difficult to communicate effectively and bring about the change you want—as long as you know what point you want to make and how to convey it.
However, in Get to the Point!, Joel Schwartzberg argues that many people fail to ever make a point because they don’t know what their point is. He says that while many books explain how to be clear and focused, there’s little information available on how to identify, craft, and communicate your point so that it resonates with your audience.
Whether you’re trying to convince a friend to watch your favorite show, pitching your boss on a new idea, or rousing a crowd to donate money to your cause, you must first have a point, then know how to market it.
Schwartzberg’s advice for getting your point across comes from his experience as a communications consultant and trainer, the communications director for the ASPCA, and as a coach for university public speaking teams. In 2002, Schwartzberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Forensic Association, a renowned intercollegiate debate organization.
Our guide presents this book in two parts:
We've organized the author's advice into four key principles for making your point and highlighted specific steps for putting each principle into practice. In addition, we include tips and strategies from other public speaking experts to help make your point resonate.
No matter who you are or what platform you’re using, compelling change begins with making a point. In Part 1 of this guide, we cover Schwartzberg’s advice for identifying what you want to say—your point—and then discuss what to do with it.
Schwartzberg defines a “point” as an assertion that you can clearly state, explain, and support. However, he says, many people have only a vague idea of what they’re trying to communicate when they start talking, which makes it impossible to convey their message powerfully enough to accomplish anything.
Avoiding this pitfall and getting your point across requires identifying and carefully crafting your point, then effectively marketing it in a way that resonates with your audience—whether that’s a handful or a roomful of people.
(Shortform note: Why is it so important to get to the point quickly? It’s been widely reported that people’s attention spans are shorter than that of a goldfish, having declined from 12 seconds to eight between the years 2000 (the start of the “mobile revolution”) and 2015. But some contend that the goldfish comparison myth needs debunking, arguing that the concept of “average attention span” is meaningless because attention varies depending on what task you’re doing.)
Schwartzberg offers a three-pronged approach to help you 1) determine if you have a point, 2) make your point stronger, and 3) hone your point by centering on the statement, “I believe” and the questions, “So what?” and “Why?” We’ll give you a step-by-step overview of the three components of Schwartzberg’s approach and provide examples of what each looks like in action.
(Shortform note: The key to Schwartzberg’s method, as we’ll discuss, is specificity. Whether you’re speaking or writing, precision and clarity are critical to communicating your message in a way your audience can understand.)
Schwartzberg says your first goal is to figure out whether your point is actually a point. Can it be stated, explained, and supported—or is it just a vague topic? The statement “I believe” can help you.
First, think of a point you’d like to make, then fill in the blank at the end of the phrase: “I believe that [fill in the blank].” Does your sentence make sense? If it doesn’t, your point isn’t a point, and it needs to be reformulated.
Example:
“I believe that teacher shortages,” is not a point because it doesn’t make sense as a sentence.
“I believe that teacher shortages will lead to long-term problems in the public education system in the US,” is a point because it makes sense as a sentence (it’s a complete thought).
The first example simply named a topic; the second example specified what you think about that topic. Your audience can engage with the second idea, but not the first.
After you’ve identified your point using “I believe,” Schwartzberg’s second step is to formulate it so it’s as strong and effective as possible. To do this, ask the question, “So what?” You’ll know your point is weak if you’re stating a broadly agreed-upon truth that can’t reasonably be challenged, therefore the response would be “So what?” For instance, a statement of “The sky is blue” or “Ceiling fans circulate air” would certainly receive a confused response of, “So what?” from your recipient. In contrast, you have a strong point when a reasonable argument can be made against it, and some analysis is required to defend it.
Example:
Point: “Madonna is a pop star.”
Stronger point: “Madonna redefined the music world by shattering traditional ideas of how women should present themselves.”
(Shortform note: If you've ever taken an English class, you probably learned how to identify, strengthen, and hone a point, but you may have forgotten how. It's essentially the same as writing a thesis statement: First, choose a subject you’re passionate about that has credible research to defend it. Next, write your topic as a question, then answer it to more clearly define your statement. Finally, edit and revise your statement using bold, clear, direct language.)
Having strengthened your point using “So what?”, Schwartzberg’s final step in making it effective is to hone it by making it as specific as possible. He says you can sharpen your point by asking “Why?” This question helps you clarify your argument, which in turn allows you to weed out unnecessary language that distracts from your core point.
How to use “Why?”
Use “Why?” as a Multipurpose Tool
Schwartzberg argues that asking “Why?” will help you identify and remove fluffy language that muddles your point, but the logic linking fluffy language and asking why isn’t entirely clear. We can infer that asking “Why?” forces you to get specific in a way that clarifies your point, which then permits you to better see and remove the fluff.
But “Why?” is also a critical tool to mobilize people behind your ideas. When presenters make a call to action, many assume it’s enough to tell an audience what they want them to do and how they need to do it. But it’s the act of telling people why they should do what you’re asking that compels them to action.
Now that you’ve identified and honed your point, you’re ready to market it. Schwartzberg says the single most important goal when presenting your point is to make a strong pitch that resonates with your audience.
To make a strong pitch or presentation, you first have to know who your audience is and what they want from you, so you can tailor your message, language, and tone for them.
For example, if you’re giving a speech to students at an all-boys high school, your delivery and the stories you use to illustrate your point should be relevant to them, and should be different from how you’d convey your message to a roomful of female entrepreneurs. With the first group, you might take the tone of “coach” or “mentor,” while the second group would appreciate your talking to them like a peer.
How to Adapt to Your Audience
While Schwartzberg stresses the need to understand your audience to tailor your presentation appropriately, Briar Goldberg, director of speaker coaching at TED, offers some guidance on how to do this.
Novices: You’re mostly likely to reach novices, who are often looking for guidance, by demonstrating that you’re a credible source of information.
Experts are most likely to respond to points that are backed up with data.
Mixed audience: An emotional appeal works best with a mixed audience.
Goldberg also suggests talking with event organizers before your presentation to get a better understanding of who’s going to be in the audience, what their needs and interests are, and how the event was marketed.
Once you understand your audience, the next step is to make a powerful pitch. Schwartzberg argues that you must actively market your point to your audience; a casual conversation with them about it isn’t enough. He recommends seven strategies to keep yourself and your audience focused on the point you’re there to make:
1. Silence your inner critic.
Quiet Your Self-Doubt
Silencing the negative voices in your head has benefits beyond public presentations. Clinical psychologist Paul Gilbert says that regularly practicing “self-compassion” can help you relieve your suffering and amplify your empathy for others:
Accept that your brain evolved to protect you from harm and will sometimes signal danger even when the situation you’re confronting isn’t life-threatening.
Meditate.
Talk to yourself with the same kindness you’d show to a friend.
In your head, amplify the voices of people in your life who believe in you.
2. Choose the first word you’re going to say and lead with it.
Grab Your Audience’s Attention Immediately
When you give a speech, you have 60 seconds to grab your audience’s attention, gain their trust, and get them to listen to what you have to say. In addition to Schwartzberg’s advice for getting started, these five tips can help:
Ask a rhetorical question to arouse curiosity.
State a shocking statistic to highlight the point of your speech.
Offer a thought-provoking quote about the point you’re making.
Show a powerful photograph to engage imagination.
Play a video to elicit an emotional response.
3. State your point, and the consequences of not supporting it, using clear, direct language.
How to Convey Urgency
Schwartzberg says it’s critical to convey urgency to compel an audience to take action. Here are three steps you can take, when preparing for your speech, to help raise the stakes:
List the consequences of failure to take action related to the point you plan to make.
For each item you generate, ask: “And then what would happen?”
Write a “raise the stake” statement that addresses the challenges you’ve identified, and use it at the beginning of your speech.
4. Project confidence.
Bolster Your Physical Presence
Schwartzberg points to the importance of showing your confidence verbally, but you can also display your confidence physically. Here are six tricks to project physical confidence:
Make eye contact. It’s one of the most important indicators of confidence.
Tilt your chin and head up.
Stand up straight.
Adopt a wide-legged stance.
Keep your palms up when you gesture to project honesty.
Don’t put your hands in your pockets or cross your arms, which can make you look nervous or defensive.
5. Eliminate physical distractions that disrupt your connection with the audience.
To Connect With Your Audience, Be Yourself
Presentation expert Nick Morgan argues that the key to connecting meaningfully with your audience is tapping into your authenticity, which you can do by practicing the following four behaviors before your presentation:
Being open: Think about the feeling of openness you have when you interact with someone you trust, like your partner, a friend, or your child. Your goal is to apply this feeling to your presentation.
Consciously deciding to connect: Recognize, focus on, and commit to connecting with your audience early and throughout your time together, so you can capture and maintain their attention.
Being passionate: To bring your passion to the forefront, think about the highest stakes of your presentation and why your message is so important.
Listening: Think of “listening” as paying attention to the non-verbal cues your audience will give you when you speak. Be mindful that you’ll be having a “conversation” with them as you present, even though they’re not verbally responding.
6. Speak up.
When Speaking Up Leads to Backlash
Schwartzberg notes that women sometimes express concern to him about the backlash they experience from speaking forcefully and the pressure they feel to soften their voices. He argues that the solution is recognizing that the problem lies with the person with the bias, and he stresses that women shouldn’t kowtow to the pressure they feel to be quiet.
But Schwartzberg may be minimizing the problem. Although he offers examples of women who have delivered powerful speeches to great acclaim, he neglects to note they were given before audiences inclined to support them. Other women have faced backlash as a result of raising their voices in the public sphere to make a controversial point. For example, Elizabeth Warren’s “Nevertheless, she persisted” moment became a rallying cry for women who experienced the same problem.
7. Pause.
(Shortform note: Pausing isn’t just good for presentations; it’s also good for your health. The US Department of Veterans Affairs asserts that pausing can improve your health by reducing stress, boosting your focus and awareness, helping you maintain your interest and energy level, and decreasing injuries stemming from repetition.)
Once you’ve driven home your point, allow nothing to distract you from it. Schwartzberg argues that your point is your grounding and guiding principle—the thing you should always come back to if you get lost or distracted.
For example, if someone challenges your point or asks you to respond to something unrelated, and you get confused or rattled, Schwartzberg recommends turning the conversation back to your point with a directive statement, such as: “Here’s the point…” or “The most important thing to focus on is…” followed by your point.
(Shortform note: Though it might seem less obvious, your physical comfort also plays a role in your level of distraction. Before your presentation, try to find out whether the room you’ll be in will have heat or air conditioning, and select your outfit accordingly; make sure you have a glass of water available in case you get thirsty; and if you absolutely must use the restroom during your presentation, be prepared to show a short video that’s relevant to your point, ask a colleague to step in momentarily to talk about a related subject, or announce that it’s time for a “comfort break.”)
By now you know and have honed, marketed, and resolved to remain focused on your point. Schwartzberg says your final step is to close your presentation with a reminder of your point.
(Shortform note: Earlier, we noted that Schwartzberg recommends making just a single point in a sentence to focus your audience’s attention on one core message. However, some communications strategists assert that the “rule of three” makes ideas and concepts more memorable and interesting, in part because three is the smallest number of factors that, when combined, create a pattern.)
In the first part of this guide, you learned how to identify, craft, and pitch your point powerfully. Now we’ll examine Schwartzberg’s tips for maximizing your impact in various scenarios in public presentations and the workplace.
Whether you’re delivering a speech, sitting on a conference panel, or presenting a PowerPoint, here is how Schwartzberg recommends you make your point.
(Shortform note: In Talk Like Ted, Carmine Gallo offers additional strategies to grab your audience’s attention and make your point: Repackage well-worn ideas so they feel fresh, incorporate shocking moments, and build mystery and suspense into the stories you tell.)
(Shortform note: If you want to stand out as a panelist and make sure your message gets heard, ask the event organizer if you can speak second in the lineup (not first) so latecomers hear your presentation, and engage your audience by asking questions, such as: “By a show of hands, how many people in this room [fill in the blank]?”)
(Shortform note: You can also strengthen your point by making sure that the message you’re trying to convey to your audience has a clear beginning, middle, and end.)
The workplace offers many opportunities to make your point. Whether you’re conducting a staff meeting, giving a performance review, communicating with staff, or simply writing an email, here is Schwartzberg’s advice for effectively presenting your point.
(Shortform note: Another way to make sure your message resonates with staff is to ask employees ahead of time what they’d like to discuss, and why, to help shape your agenda.)
(Shortform note: In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz argues that in addition to being clear and precise with employees about what they’re doing that’s working or not, make sure to use a tone that doesn’t demean or demoralize them. A tone of respect increases the likelihood that they’ll receive your message.)
(Shortform note: It’s easy to implement these strategies under the best of circumstances, but how can you communicate effectively with staff in a time of crisis? A key tip is to provide information regularly, in a timely manner, and in locations where employees are most likely to see it, rather than waiting until you have all the answers.)
(Shortform note: To make sure your point doesn’t get lost over a series of emails, encourage staff and other recipients to stick to one email thread per topic, rather than starting a new email chain each time someone has a new idea they want to share on the subject. This keeps everyone on the same page.)
Schwartzberg argues that to make a point that compels people to action, you have to first identify what your point is, then craft, hone, and market it effectively.
Reflect on Schwartzberg’s three-pronged approach to identifying, strengthening, and honing your point by using the “I believe” statement, and asking “So what?” and “Why?” Write down a point you’d like to make, then strengthen and hone it.
Consider Schwartzberg’s seven strategies for marketing your point—for instance, silence your inner criticism, choose your first word, pause, and project confidence. Which strategies do you think will be most helpful to you and why?
Think about a time you pitched a point unsuccessfully. After reading this guide, how might you do it differently?