Chapter 13 Organizing, Writing, and Outlining Presentations 375Signposts
Effective speakers make regular use of signposts, key
words or phrases within sentences that signify transi-
tions between points. Think of signposts as links or
pivot points at which you either connect one point
to another (“similarly,” “next,” “once again,”) or move
from one point to a related but perhaps opposing or
alternative point (“however,” “on the other hand”).
c “Another way you can help to fight puppy mills is
to boycott pet stores that sell animals from disrepu-
table sources.”
c “The third problem with our current emergency
room system is that there simply isn’t enough
money to fund our ERs.”Table 13.1 details various examples of signposts and considers how they function
effectively to achieve a specific purpose.
Internal Previews and Internal Summaries
Like a good map that shows travelers points along the way to their destination,
internal previews prime the audience for the content immediately ahead. They
often work best in conjunction with internal summaries, which allow the speaker
to crystallize the points made in one section of a speech before moving to the next
section. For example:
c “So far, I have presented two reasons why you should visit the dentist annu-
ally. First, it prevents gum disease. Second, it also helps you avoid tooth
decay. Now I will address my third point: regular visits to the dentist will
benefit your overall good health.”c “Now that I have explained what asthma is and the two main types of
asthma, allergic and nonallergic, I will discuss what you can do to avoid an
asthma attack.”
By first summarizing and then previewing, the speaker has created a useful
transition that gracefully moves the speech forward while offering audiences an
opportunity to synthesize the information already received.
Using Language That Works
Now you know quite a bit about identifying, supporting, arranging, and moving
between the main points of your speech. But to describe and explain the points
themselves, you must make competent language choices that bring your ideas to
life right before your audience’s eyes. The words that you choose for your speech
are clearly powerful, so it’s important to think about them now, in the prepara-
tion and writing stages, so that you can eventually incorporate them into your
actual presentation.
DIRECT THE AUDIENCE
from one point in your speech
to the next with signpost words
or phrases, such as “similarly”
or “on the other hand.” Jonathan
Larsen/Veer