FEC 2: Lists & Triplets
Video Review – Details you want to know
What part of a bullet point list tends to sound especially robotic and stiff? (1:36)
It’s often the pause right after the colon in the lead-in to a list of bulletpoints.
I often eliminate that pause (“moving the pause”) and go right into the first point, to avoid that awkward pause.
In other words, implementing a healthy dose of Habit 2: Cadence and Tempo can often help us make these lists feel much more friendly.
Should I vary my tempo as I read through a list of bullet points?
In most cases, absolutely! This makes the whole list sound less formal and more welcoming.
Can I re-write a bullet point list to help me read it in a more organic way?
Of course! If it helps you, do it!
It’s what I call a part of a script with three elements, back-to-back-to-back, separated by commas.
For example: “…to streamline our data transport, reduce latency, and minimize network congestion.”
We see these all the time in client scripts, and yet we rarely arrange neat triplets like this in our everyday speech. It’s a challenge!
Why is adding an additional “And” before the 2nd part of a triplet sometimes helpful? (10:32)
If we were stringing three things together in a normal conversation, we often wouldn’t realize we were going to list three things at first, so we’d like say “this, and this…and this!”
It’s terrible grammar when it’s written; but the way to talk is often NOT how we write.
What other filler-words could help us break up a Triplet list? (13:12)
“Or”, “Oh, and”…you could even say “plus” in front of the 3rd part of a triplet instead of “and”. Play around with it!