Member-only story
How to Stick to Your Talking Points
When you’re trying to get a point across, embrace your inner candidate
Everyone knew the question of “electability” was going to come up at last night’s Democratic presidential debate. And when it did, Sen. Elizabeth Warren — fired up after reports emerged that Sen. Bernie Sanders had told her that no woman could win the presidency — was ready to strike: “Can a woman beat Donald Trump?” she said. “Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women! Amy [Klobuchar] and me.”
But Warren, intent on hammering home her argument about electability, didn’t stop there. “And the only person on this stage who has beaten an incumbent Republican anytime in the last 30 years,” she added, “is me.” It was a powerful real-time lesson in how to stick to the point: Warren avoided getting sidetracked and stuck to her sound bites. Even those of us who will never set foot on a debate stage can glean some wisdom from this. Whether you’re prepping for a big meeting or a tough talk with a friend, here’s how to make sure you stay on message and say exactly what you mean to say.
