{"id":88705,"date":"2023-01-13T17:37:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T21:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=88705"},"modified":"2023-01-17T16:58:23","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T20:58:23","slug":"what-is-the-main-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-main-point\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Main Point? Communicating Your Big Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you communicate, are you clear on what your big idea is? Does your audience have clarity? What is the main point<\/a> of what you’re saying?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re not sure, you might appreciate learning how Amazon communicates. In The Bezos Blueprint<\/em>, Carmine Gallo helps you identify your main point and then communicate it effectively using the structure of a press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to learn how to get your main point across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is the Main Point?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the reasons you should communicate simply is to reduce the work your audience needs to do to understand you. One way to reduce the work for your audience is to get to the point as quickly as possible. Gallo explains that all Amazon communications state the most important takeaway up front<\/strong>. Your audience\u2019s time is precious. We\u2019ll show you how to respect it by telling them right away what you have to say and why it matters to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The Pyramid Principle<\/em><\/a>, Barbara Minto adds that if you don\u2019t start with your main point, you force readers to reach conclusions on their own as they read, which overburdens them and leads to potential misinterpretation<\/a>. Like Gallo, she recommends stating your conclusion first, then walking readers through your reasoning. Minto says this approach doesn\u2019t come naturally to most writers because the typical writing process leads you to your main point last<\/em><\/a>: You write out your ideas, consider the relationships between them, then add a conclusion to summarize the point you\u2019ve made.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determine Your Main Point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, to follow this advice, you first need to figure out what your takeaway is<\/em>. If your audience gleans one<\/em> thing from your communication, what should that be? What is the main<\/em> point you want to get across? Make this one thing as clear and simple as possible. Make sure it\u2019s obvious why it matters to the listener<\/strong>. To do so, Gallo says, imagine an impatient listener asking, \u201cWhy should I care?\u201d Then, answer this question three times, boiling down the answer each time until you\u2019ve found the bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, to the customer\u2019s question, \u201cWhy should I care about Amazon Prime\u2019s shipping?\u201d you might answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n