Signpost out loud
'First… second…' is not for you. It's so they can follow.
Say how many points you have and number them as you go. It sounds stiff in your head and lands as clarity in the room — listeners relax when they know where you're going, and judges can write it down. Structure is persuasion.
Instead of
So there's a lot of reasons, like the cost thing, and also it's not really fair, and there was that time…
Try
Two reasons. First, the cost. Second, the fairness — and the second one matters more.
Try it today
In your next meeting, say 'two things' before you speak — and stick to two.
The science
Signposting is a core of every competitive debate format; comprehension research shows explicit organisational cues raise recall and perceived credibility (Titsworth & Kiewra, 2004).
Where you'd actually use it
Next lesson
- 🔍 Spot the fallacy — name it gentlyYou don't need the Latin. You need the pattern.
- ❓ A question beats an assertionThe strongest move in most arguments is a question with a real cost behind it.
- 1️⃣ One number, not fiveNobody has ever changed their mind under a pile of statistics.