Effective Speaking for Candidates

How to Make your Point and Create Sound Bites And Quotable Statements

Randall P. Whatley

Whether you are participating in a debate, at a community forum or communicating with the media, your most important objective should be to make your point clear and memorable. 

The following are three simple and effective techniques to make your point clear and create sound bites and quotable statements:

1) Speaking well is not necessarily the same as writing well. When speaking, use the verbal colon to draw attention to your main point and create a sound bite.

Example:

You would write,

The important point I want to make is that despite the storm damage, city services will continue.

Using the verbal colon to draw attention to your important point, you would say, The important point to remember is this: Despite the storm damage, city services will continue.

Other good verbal colon phrases include the following:

• Consider this
• Remember this
• Case in point
• One final point
• Here's the proof
• The most interesting aspect is this
• The main point to remember is this
• The biggest mistake we can make is this

2) Make use of the inserted question to focus attention on your words. Anytime you use the word because, when writing, insert the word why before it when speaking to draw attention to your main point and create a sound bite.

Example:

You would write, We have added many new police officers to the force because we do not want even one more crime committed.

Using the inserted question, you would focus attention on your statement by saying, We have added many new police officers to the force. Why? Because we do not want even one more crime committed.

3) Make your points in short sentences, preferably with six to ten words.

Example:

We hope this solution solves the problem for good.