Structure: an idea people remember
Lesson 10 of 16 in the course “Speak with Confidence”. Free, with animations and a quiz.
One main idea
TED’s head Chris Anderson advises building every talk around one throughline that connects everything else. Test yourself: can you say your main idea in one sentence? Mira’s goes: “The app splits the bill, not your friendship.” Anything that doesn’t serve that idea can go, even if it’s interesting.
Three points leave room
Listeners can’t flip back a page; everything lives in their heads. In 2001 psychologist Nelson Cowan pulled together evidence that working memory holds about four items at once. So three points under the main idea is a handy size: easy to hold, with room left for the idea itself. With seven points, the room remembers the first and the last.
Answering on the spot: PREP
The scariest moment is a surprise question in class, at an interview or after a pitch. The PREP formula saves you: point, reason, example, point again. “I think sleep beats studying all night. Because memory consolidates during sleep. For example, before my exam I…” and “So: sleep.” Four steps, and the answer sounds put together even if you made it up in 15 seconds.
What? So what? Now what?
Another simple frame, taught by Matt Abrahams of Stanford Graduate School of Business. “What” is the fact or idea. “So what” is why it matters to these particular people. “Now what” is the step they should take. It works for a quick update, a toast or answering in a meeting. People most often skip the second step and list facts without saying why the listener should care.
The ending sticks best
Psychologists have long known the serial position effect: in a list, the first and last items are remembered best. So the ending is the second most powerful spot in a talk, yet many waste it on “so yeah, that’s about it”. A strong ending is simple: the main idea once more, shorter than at the start. One clear step for the room. A pause, eye contact and “Thank you.” No new points in the last minute.
Check yourself
- You get a surprise question at an interview. How do you start a PREP answer?
Correct answer: With the main point: “I think…”. PREP starts with the point: the listener gets your position right away, and the reason and example back it up. - Mira’s talk has seven points. What will the room most likely remember?
Correct answer: Mostly the first and the last. Working memory holds about four items, and by the serial position effect the start and end of a list stick best. - Which ending is stronger?
Correct answer: The main idea again, one step for the room and “Thank you”. The ending sticks better than the middle, so it should carry the main thing, not a random one.
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