PLAN IN ANALOG 7
phone!”^5 That’s a headline. Headlines grab the attention of your
audience and give people a reason to listen. Read USA Today for
ideas. Here are some examples from America’s most popular
daily newspaper:
”Apple’s Skinny MacBook Is Fat with Features”
”Apple Unleashes Leopard Operating System”
”Apple Shrinks iPod”
PA SSI O N S TAT EMEN T
Aristotle, the father of public speaking, believed that success-
ful speakers must have “pathos,” or passion for their subject.
Very few communicators express a sense of excitement about
their topic. Steve Jobs exudes an almost giddy enthusiasm every
time he presents. Former employees and even some journal-
ists have claimed that they found his energy and enthusiasm
completely mesmerizing. Spend a few minutes developing a pas-
sion statement by filling in the following sentence: “I’m excited
about this product [company, initiative, feature, etc.] because
it .” Once you have identified the passion
statement, don’t be bashful—share it.
THREE KEY MESSAGES
Now that you have decided on your headline and passion state-
ment, write out the three messages you want your audience to
receive. They should be easily recalled without the necessity of
looking at notes. Although Scene 5 is dedicated to this subject,
for now keep in mind that your listeners can recall only three or
four points in short-term memory. Each of the key messages will
be followed by supporting points.
METAPHORS AND ANALOGIES
As you develop key messages and supporting points, decide on
which rhetorical devices will make your narrative more engag-
ing. According to Aristotle, metaphor is “the most important
thing by far.” A metaphor—a word or phrase that denotes one