How to Make Talking Points (With Examples)

To make talking points, start with the one outcome you want from the conversation, then write three short points that lead the listener toward it. Give each point one piece of proof, and keep the set on a single page you can reorder for each interview, panel, podcast, or meeting.

What are talking points?

Talking points are a short list of statements you plan to make in a conversation you cannot script, each paired with the fact or story that proves it. In business communication and public speaking, they give you a direction to follow and leave the exact wording open. Media training calls them key messages, and my guides to press interviews, podcast guest spots, and speaking engagements all tell you to prepare them.

Talking points format: What goes in each point

Each talking point needs three parts, in this order:

• A one-sentence claim a listener could repeat to a friend.
• Proof from your own work, such as a number, a story, or a client result.
• One line on why this audience should care.

The CDC’s Laboratory Communications Toolkit tells writers to “begin your message with the most important information,” so the claim goes first. If a claim has an “and” in the middle, split it into two key points, following plain language guidance on digital.gov: “Express only one idea in each sentence.”

Your third part answers “So what?”, the question COMPASS Science Communication calls the crux of its Message Box.

How to make talking points, step by step

Set aside 30 minutes and a blank page for your first set, then work through these six steps in order:

1. Pick one outcome by finishing the sentence “After this conversation, I want them to…” with a single action, such as booking a consultation. The CDC toolkit summarizes it in four words: “Identify just one purpose.”
2. Name one specific audience, such as the readers of a particular trade publication, because COMPASS warns against building a Message Box for the “general public.”
3. List every point you could make in 10 minutes, then keep the three that lead most directly to your outcome.
4. Attach evidence to every point, such as a dated figure or a 30-second story, since an unsupported claim can sound like an advertisement.
5. Rehearse each point aloud in front of a mirror with a timer running, which helps build confidence before the real conversation. Rewrite any phrase you stumble over and any jargon your listener would need to look up, until the points sound natural.
6. Write a closing line that directs people to one page on your website. According to the CDC toolkit, a call to action should name who it is for and what they need to do, in “no more than 1-3 sentences.”

A talking points template you can copy

Fill in a new copy for every conversation, and take the opening line, which sets the tone for everything after it, from your professional bio. Keep it to one page, with each claim as a short bullet point in large type. On a video call, tape it beside your camera to maintain eye contact with the lens.

• Setting: [interview, panel, podcast, or meeting], [host], [date].
• Outcome: After this, I want them to [one action].
• Audience: [one specific group], whose biggest concern is [concern].
• Opening line: I help [who you serve] with [the problem you solve].
• First point: [claim], backed by [number or story], which matters to them because [one line].
• Second point: [claim], backed by [number or story], which matters to them because [one line].
• Third point: [claim], backed by [number or story], which matters to them because [one line].
• Likely question: [question], answered by my [first, second, or third] point.
• Closing line: [the one page you send people to].

Talking points examples: One founder, two settings

Dana Ortiz is a founder I made up. Her company, Copper Kettle Catering, has 22 employees and catered 260 events last year, 182 of them (70%) for repeat clients. In March she launched an office lunch program, and by June 40 offices had standing orders averaging 25 lunches, or 1,000 lunches a week. Her outcome is for office managers to visit her lunch program page:

• First point: Office managers want team lunches without planning them every week, backed by 40 offices signing up in three months, which matters because one standing order replaces a weekly task.
• Second point: Clients come back when food arrives on time, backed by 182 of last year’s 260 events coming from repeat clients, which matters because a missed lunch lands on the office manager.
• Third point: Small offices can join too, since the smallest standing order is 10 lunches, which means a 12-person team qualifies.
• Closing line: This month’s menus are on the lunch page of our website.

Talking points for an interview

When a business journal reporter calls, Dana leads with her first point, since the launch is the news. Build your talking points for interview requests around the story that earned the booking, which my media pitch samples help you choose. For a job interview, the role is your outcome and past results are the proof a hiring manager wants. Before the call, decide which of your three points answers each of the common interview questions you expect.

CEO talking points example: An announcement to your team

Knowing how to write talking points for your own staff helps with announcements too. If Dana moves deliveries to 10:30 every weekday, her proof is that 1,000 lunches a week need two new routes, and her closing line sends questions to Lena in operations.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write talking points for executives?

Draft three points in the executive’s own voice, with proof they can explain without notes. Then have them rehearse aloud and rewrite any line that sounds unlike them.

What are the best practices for structuring talking points for a panel discussion?

Ask the moderator for the planned questions, then prepare one point per question with the claim first. Connecting your point to something another panelist said makes it easier for the audience to remember.

Where can I find templates for creating persuasive talking points?

You can start with the fill-in template on this page. COMPASS Science Communication also publishes the Message Box, a five-part tool built around why your audience should care.

How do I craft talking points for a new product launch presentation?

Make the launch your first point, backed by an early number such as preorders. Use the other two for why the product matters, then name one place to buy it.

What are good talking points for an interview?

Good interview talking points are three short claims, each backed by a number or story from your own work. Lead with the point that is newest to the interviewer’s audience.