How to write talking points
What’s the issue?
Talking points are used by senior leaders to speak at meetings and events, including Ministers presenting papers to Cabinet. They’re like a script to be read out, written in the voice of a senior leader to help the senior leader articulate their key points. That makes it important that policy professionals write talking points well.
Why does it matter?
It might seem surprising, but senior leaders often aren’t across the detail. Realistically, they have so much to do they need to pick and choose which issues they’ll delve into deeply. That means they won’t be able to speak off the cuff about everything they’re responsible for.
Being across the detail is a policy professional’s job. With that job comes the responsibility of equipping a senior leader to play their part – taking an issue to other senior leaders for decision or action, and sometimes explaining to the public.
What’s the solution?
Talking points are a narrative, just like a book or a movie, and not simply a list of facts. They should explain why an issue is important, why the listener needs to hear it, and what (if anything) the listener needs to do. Using signposting language in your talking points, like ‘I am proposing this because …’, will help give your narrative shape.
When you’re writing talking points, the golden rule is this: make sure they can be spoken aloud. Ideally, that means:
- Short, simple and familiar words
- Short sentences
- One idea per sentence
- A larger than normal font
- Enough white space that the senior leader doesn’t lose their place on the page
If you’d like to know more about writing talking points, check out this guidance from NZIER.