Plain English at Work by Edward P. Bailey Jr

Author:Edward P. Bailey Jr.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0195104498
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2015-03-02T10:55:21+00:00

Some speakers don’t like this approach, hating to give away the bottom line at the beginning. They feel audiences are more receptive who first hear all the facts and all the logical arguments and then hear the bottom line at the end.

However, I don’t think their audiences would agree. From my experience, audiences that have to wait get impatient. Worse, they often get confused: all those facts and arguments simply don’t mean much without the essential context of the bottom line. Imagine yourself as part of the audience: when would you want the speaker to tell you the bottom line?

So get to the point—right up front. What works best for you as a listener also works best for you as a speaker.

Tip

When you state your bottom line up front, be sure you don’t give only your topic. Actually state, briefly, what you conclude, recommend, or request.

Sometimes a presentation doesn’t have a bottom line. In that case, be sure your audience isn’t expecting one. That is, tell them your purpose: you’re simply providing information and not asking for any action. Here’s an example of a poor topic statement that may or may not have a bottom line later on:

The topic today is our benefits program.

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