Talking points
Definition
Talking points are a concise set of key messages — typically three to seven bullet points — that a speaker or team uses to stay consistent, on-topic, and on-brand when presenting, being interviewed, or discussing a product or position.
Talking points serve two purposes. They ensure consistency — when multiple people are speaking about a product or position, talking points keep everyone saying the same things in compatible ways. They also serve as a cognitive aid — a speaker under pressure (an investor Q&A, a media interview, a difficult product review) can anchor back to the talking points rather than improvising in ways they'll regret.
Talking points are different from a script. A script is read verbatim. Talking points are internalized and delivered naturally, in the speaker's own voice.
Well-written talking points are: short (one sentence each, possibly two), specific (concrete claims, not vague assertions), differentiated (they emphasize what's true of your product that isn't true of alternatives), and ordered by importance (lead with the most critical message, in case the conversation ends early).
Common contexts for talking points: product launches (PR media training), investor roadshows, board meetings, analyst briefings, sales enablement, and leadership communications during difficult periods.
Preparing talking points is a whiteboard exercise: the team writes every possible point, argues about priority, eliminates the weak ones, and sharpens the survivors. BoardSnap captures those sessions as structured output with the final talking points preserved as the main deliverable.
Examples
- Three talking points for a media interview about a product launch: what it does, who it's for, and how it's different
- Investor Q&A talking points for the most common tough questions: competition, market size, business model
- Sales enablement talking points for why the product beats the most common alternative in head-to-head evaluations
Related terms
Snap a talking points. Ship its actions.
BoardSnap turns any whiteboard — including this one — into a summary and action plan.