I have been hearing a lot of bullet points in speeches lately. Not as quick lists thrown in to support a main point. These bullets are used in lieu of main points. And they are often very long sentences, sometimes paragraphs. Then those are not really bullet points, you say. Exactly. But far too many speakers deliver them like they are.
I don't know if this is pandemic-related, or due to an ever-shrinking attention span, or because offices and organizations are trying "new and improved" communications models that emphasize clarity, brevity, making your point. All of which are worthy goals. But this rattling off everything like bullet points has got to stop!
Speech communication is different from written communication. If you are in a room, or on a video platform talking to people, and you turn a speech into a listicle, I can assure you any points you score for brevity will be offset by audience disengagement.
Whenever you are given the opportunity to speak, you need to ask why you are doing that, as opposed to sending in a report. A report is faster to read that a speech is to listen to. It does not require audience attendance. It is a much more efficient way of delivering information, when you think about it. But the value of having you speak is that you are not just imparting facts and figures! You are the expert who has digested the information, sorted what is important and urgent, and gathered it all into a package that we can understand.
And what does that really mean? You are telling us a story. You have an introduction, main points, and a conclusion. Beginning-middle-end. Classic narrative arc. You can be brief and clear in this framework, But you need to take your bullet points and incorporate them into the story you are telling. This means slowing down and adding more variety in your rhythm. End your sentences definitively, with a downward inflection, instead of the upending that signals you *may* be done with this item on your list and are moving onto the next.
Bullet points may convey information, but they lack stickiness. Stories are used in all cultures as tools for connecting. Which model would serve your communication better?
