Talking Points

People who speak in public have different preferences. Some like to talk from specific texts where each exact word they say is already written. These formal speeches are tightly scripted with little to no room for the speaker to deviate from what he or she is going to say. Sometimes the words are before them on a teleprompter., Sometimes their speech is in a binder on the podium from which they speak. And occasionally, there are those who actually go to the trouble of committing their prepared speeches to memory so it appears as if they are making their remarks off the cuff when, in fact, they are not. The best example of that I can think of is the late General Douglas MacArthur. Finally, there are those who really do like to "wing it"and speak totally off the top of their head. That can be dangerous. 

Formal speech writing is a challenge and an art. Good speech writers deserve all the praise that comes their way. Just as challenging for writers is preparing talking points for speakers. This type of communique has to be specifically prepared for a specific speaker rather than a "one size fits all" format. For instance, some speakers who prefer working from talking points that are sketchy while others want them to be very detailed. An analogy would be a list of errands to run on a Saturday afternoon. For some, their list only needs to be: "grocery store, cleaners, pet store and service station." For others, their list is more detailed: "grocery store with a subset of bread, milk and ground beef; cleaners with a subset of shirts, trousers and linen; pet store with a sub set of dog food and cat liter box; and service station, with a sub set of motor oil, emissions test, and battery. 

Those preparing the talking points must work as closely with their clients as do those who prepare formal speeches. In either case, the speaker needs the crutch of pre-determined words from which to speak. At the same time, the challenge of the person preparing those words is found in accurately deciding how much latitude to give the speaker so the speaker feels secure enough in the parameters set for them, yet free enough to say what it is they are going to say in their own specific words. In short, writers of talking points have a delicate balance to strike, one that is contingent on how well they know their client and how well the two work together.