The Preview and Signposting
After the thesis, you preview your three points by name so the judge knows exactly what is coming and can follow along. You will be able to write a clean preview and use signposts throughout the speech.
Writing a Clean Preview
The preview names each point in a short, parallel phrase — 'first, the inflation data; second, the labor market; third, the political pressure' — rather than full sentences, so it moves quickly and sticks in the judge's ear. Parallel grammatical structure across all three point names makes the preview easier to track and remember.
Signposting Through the Speech
A signpost is a short verbal marker — 'my first point,' 'turning to my second point,' 'finally, my third point' — placed at the start of each new section so a judge who glances down to take notes can look back up and immediately know where you are. Skipping signposts is one of the most common reasons judges lose track of an otherwise well-organized speech.
Signposting with Micro-Transitions
Advanced competitors add a one-sentence micro-transition between points that both closes the previous point's impact and opens the next — 'if labor markets are cooling, that alone might not move the Fed, but combine it with mounting political pressure, and the picture changes' — which does double duty as both signpost and analytical bridge.
Continuing the Fed interest rate speech.
Preview: "I'll prove my thesis by examining, first, cooling inflation data; second, a softening labor market; and third, mounting political pressure on the Fed chair." Later in the speech: "Turning to my second point, the labor market: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its March 2025 jobs report that unemployment ticked up to 4.2 percent, the highest reading in two years."
1. What makes a preview effective?
2. True or False?
"Signposts are optional flourishes that only matter for very long speeches."
3. What extra function does a micro-transition serve beyond basic signposting?
Answer all 3 to check.
A crisp, parallel preview followed by consistent signposts is what lets a judge follow a seven-minute speech without getting lost.