The SLAP Method

Imagine you are listening to a presentation. Does the presentation grab your attention right from the start, or does it leave you bored and uninterested in what the speaker has to say?

I still remember a time I was a volunteer at a district level Toastmasters speech contest. The emcee of the contest had me hide a hairdryer in the lectern. When he started the contest, he asked me to hand him the item we had hidden in the lectern. As the audience watched, I handed him the hairdryer, then I asked: “What is this?” He answered: “It’s a hairdryer. “, to which I replied: “What’s it for?” He answered: “To warm up the audience!”

At this point, the audience broke out in laughter. What the emcee and I did was to warm up the audience with some humour to prime them to enjoy the speech contest. We effectively engaged our audience with an interesting opening to the speech contest.

While this was not a speech, it does teach us an important lesson. That lesson is that you need to engage your audience right from the start of your presentation by grabbing their attention. This will prime them to enjoy the rest of your presentation, and to pay attention to what you have to say.

To help you do that, I am going to share with you the SLAP method for structuring a speech, which is something I learned from my friend Marc Haine. Marc is a professional speaker, and he is skilled at engaging his audience with compelling stories and he effectively engages his audience throughout his presentations.

The SLAP acronym stands for:

Story – Begin with a compelling story that captures the audience’s attention. Stories are powerful tools to make your message relatable and memorable.

Lesson – Highlight the key takeaway or moral from the story. Clearly connect the story to the point or principle you want the audience to understand.

Application – Explain how the lesson can be applied in real life or by the audience. Provide actionable steps or examples for practical use.

Point – End by reinforcing your main point or message. Tie everything back to the purpose of your speech or presentation to leave a lasting impression.

This structure ensures your message is clear, impactful, and actionable for your audience. It keeps them interested by starting with a story, and it gives them an understanding of your message by clearly identifying the lesson behind the story. It also has you showing them how to apply that lesson in real life, and you end with reinforcement of the purpose behind your speech.

I used the SLAP method for this article. I opened with a story to catch your attention and to demonstrate the SLAP method in action. I then gave you the lesson behind the story.

To apply this to your own articles and speeches, start applying the SLAP method when you write and present your speeches. Start your speeches with a story, but not just any story. Make sure it is a story that ties into the main points and lesson you want the audience to take away from your speech. For example, if you are doing a presentation on leadership, start with a compelling story about a leader who experienced or demonstrated the aspect of leadership you are trying to teach.

After sharing your leadership story, don’t just leave your audience guessing at why you shared your story. Explain the lesson behind your story, so your audience understands what you are teaching. You also need to show the audience how to apply what you are teaching. You could do this by giving them an example of how to apply what you are teaching or by sharing a story that demonstrates how to use what you are teaching.

Once you have opened with a story, explained the lesson, and shown the audience how to apply it, end your speech by bringing the audience back to the purpose of your speech. You could even end with a powerful story or call to action.

I encourage you to apply the SLAP method to your next speech or article. You will have a much greater impact on your audience, and they will enjoy your speech more because you will be using a compelling story to better teach them the lesson you want them to learn. Not only that, but you will also clearly explain the lesson behind your story, and you will show the audience how to apply it to their own lives. You will also end your presentation with an effective tie in back to the purpose of your speech and you will leave them with a lasting impression.