It takes 10 or 15 minutes to clinch a point—that is, to drive it home properly. Therefore, a speaker should seldom try to make more than one point. When more than one point is to be made, however, the five-step plan can still be used.

The five steps are observed in putting across each point. For example, the speaker goes through the five steps in making his first point. Then he repeats the five-step procedure for each additional point.

Here is a review of the FIVE-STEP PLAN

- Decide Upon the Point
- Determine Whether It’s Appropriate
- Develop Examples of What, How, When, Where It Works
- Restate the Point With a Plea for Action
- Work up an Interest Getter

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To determine his point, the speaker considers the interests of his audience. Who will attend? What are their interests in the subject? Exactly what are their needs in that connection? How can a speech help them?

Specifically, what should they do as a result of the speech? What’s the point to be made – the thing they should do after it’s all over. For example, if the speaker wants more enthusiasm shown then his point might be, “Let’s have enthusiasm!”

Inexperienced speakers often try to make too many points. Unless the talk is lengthy, one point is all that can be put across. The speaker is going after “big game.” Therefore, he should use a powerful rifle instead of a scatter gun. It’s better to drive home one good idea than to mention several points without clinching any of them.

Determine Whether The Point Is Appropriate

Having decided on the point to be made, the speaker then determines whether he can justify it.
He asks himself why the point is correct. Why should the audience accept it? What will it do for the audience?

Then he makes a list of these things. By reviewing the list, the speaker can decide whether he’s sold on his point. If he’s not fully sold, he should select a different point. He could never hope to sell his audience if he cannot even sell himself!

Reasons for the point might include such things as:
“It will save you time.”
“It will make your job easier.”
“It will enable you to get more customers.”
“It will help you make bigger sales.”
“It will put dollars in your pockets.”

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Many speakers begin their talks with jokes. It’s true that a few funny stories will soften the audience. Jokes help settle everyone down, including the speaker. Usually, though, some humor should be saved for the body of the talk. To put all the humor in the first minute or so, is amateurish. The audience expects a light and enjoyable presentation, only to be disappointed.

Questions are sometimes used to begin a speech. They “open” the mind.  Other speakers use something loud, dramatic, or unusual. Any type of opener can be used, provided two requirements are met . . . The beginning of the talk must (1) command attention, and (2) lead smoothly into the point.

Rarely will an opener automatically lead to the point. The speaker must make it connect. He will build a bridge from the interest-getter to his main idea. He can easily do this with such words as, “Perhaps you’re wondering what this means and how it applies to you. Well, here’s the whole idea—the one big point I’d like to make. It means that . . .”

All five steps have now been covered. Since these five steps are important, here they are again in brief:

A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE FIVE-STEP PLAN
Decide Upon the Point
Determine Whether It’s Appropriate
Develop Examples of What, How, When, Where It Works
Restate the Point With a Plea for Action
Work up an Interest Getter
 
Now the speaker is ready to arrange his material in the order in which he will deliver it. This can be done simply by moving the interest-getter from the bottom of the list to the top.

Sales Meeting Planning

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