Connecting Key Points

INTERNAL PREVIEWS

When used in the introduction of a presentation, an internal preview reveals or suggests your key points to the audience. It tells them what you are going to cover and in what order. When used in the body of a speech, an internal preview describes how you are going to approach a key point. Here’s how one student internally previewed his presentation about Taylor Swift:

Why is Taylor Swift so popular? Some would say it’s because of how the music industry has promoted her while others say that she has a keen awareness of what her fans want. Either or both reasons might be true. Let’s begin by looking at . . .

INTERNAL SUMMARIES

Whereas an internal preview begins a section, an internal summary ends a section and helps reinforce important ideas. Internal summaries also give you an opportunity to pause in a presentation and repeat critical ideas or pieces of information. Here’s an internal summary section on why Taylor Swift has a devoted fan base:

Without a doubt, Taylor Swift has a devoted fan base because her lyrics are relatable, they support her fight for artists’ rights, and she rewards them for being Swifties.

TRANSITIONS

The most common connectives are transitions—words, numbers, brief phrases, or sentences that help you lead your audience from one key point or section to another. They are bridges that help you get from one idea to the next. Transitions can be quite simple and consist of little more than a word or phrase, or they can be one or two complete sentences. They can help you move from one major section of a presentation to another. For example: “Now that we’ve established why Taylor Swift’s fans are so devoted, it’s time to consider how she has changed fandom.”

Relying on these transitions alone won’t add interest or variety to a presentation. Savvy speakers use a variety of transitional phrases and strategies to avoid repetition and heighten impact.

• Bridge words alert listeners that you are moving on to a new thought. Examples include “furthermore,” “meanwhile,” “however,” “in addition,” “consequently,” and “finally.”
• Trigger transitions use the same word or phrase twice to connect one topic to another. For example: “Now that we’ve explored common characteristics of Taylor Swift’s fanbase, we can see how the characteristics of fandom have changed.”
• Questions shift the audience’s attention from one point to another. For example: “As we’ve discussed why Taylor Swift’s fans are so devoted, you may be wondering, ‘How has this devotion changed fandom as a whole?’ ”
• Flashbacks link a previous point to a new one. For example: “Earlier I mentioned that Taylor Swift’s fans support her fights for artists’ rights. Other artists support this fight as well.”
• Delivery transitions use PHYSICAL DELIVERY (249–59) (movement, gestures) or PRESENTATION AIDS (260–78) to signal a transition from one thing to another. Examples include the “on one hand” and “on the other hand” gestures, moving one’s body from one place to another in the room while describing a transition, or shifting from talking to using a visual aid.⁴

SIGNPOSTS

A final and important type of connective is the signpost. Just as most travelers like to know where they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going, audiences appreciate a speaker who uses connectives for similar reasons. Signposts are short, often numerical references that, like highway signs, remind listeners where they are and how far they have to go. A signpost can be as simple as “Let’s begin by discussing how Taylor Swift’s fans came to be known as ‘Swifties.’ ” You might also begin each key point with a number, as in: “Third and finally, Taylor Swift rewards her fans for their devotion by including ‘Easter eggs’ in her lyrics, music videos, and social media posts.” Making explicit how many points you will cover offers a preview for your audience and also signals your CONCLUSION (198–203).