How To Write Effective Talking Points for the Legislative Session

Advocates sharing talking points with a legislative aide during Conservation Lobby Day

Talking points are a short list of information that convey the most important points of your argument so that others can remain focused to concisely and effectively share your argument. Creating effective talking points is crucial for engaging your audience, including legislators and constituents. These points should encourage lawmakers to take action on bills and provide constituents with the background and messaging they need to effectively advocate to their lawmakers.

3 Key Parts of Talking Points

When writing your talking points, include the following: 

  • Call To Action (CTA)

    • Include your call to action at the top of your talking points (ex. SUPPORT/OPPOSE HB123). Also include relevant details below the CTA, including the bill topic and patron.

  • Context

    • Provide a short summary of the bill, followed by 2-5 bulleted points providing reasons to support or oppose the bill.

  • Contact Information

    • Include the contact information for the author of the talking points so that legislators can follow up with any questions.

What To Avoid in Your Talking Points

Too Much Info

You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with unnecessary details or background. Limit the amount of technical language you use.

Long Bullet Points

Talking points are made to be quickly glanced at to provide a summary. Make them skimmable and easy to read.

Hiding The Main Point

Lead with the call to action and main point. Your audience may only remember one or two key things – make sure what they remember are the most important parts of your argument.