Joel Schwartzberg: Get to the Point

In this interview, I talked with Joel Schwartzberg, author of "Get to the Point," a book about identifying your main point to give better talks, write better articles, and communicate better.

We talked about:

• The difference between having a point and presenting an idea
• The intersection between storytelling and getting to the point
• How to identify your point
• When you should present your point
• How and why to avoid "badjectives"
• How to write better email messages
• Why greetings are important

Joel is currently Senior Director of Strategic and Executive Communications for the ASPCA in New York City and has been teaching effective presentation techniques to clients including American Express, Blue Apron, the Brennan Center for Justice, Comedy Central, the American Jewish Committee, and North Point Ministries since 2006. His articles on effective point-making have appeared in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Toastmaster Magazine, and The Huffington Post. A frequent conference presenter and workshop leader, Joel is a former national champion and state champion competitive public speaker. After coaching public speaking teams at the University of Pennsylvania and Seton Hall University, Joel was inducted into the National Forensic Association Hall of Fame in 2002. A staunch proponent of the serial comma, Joel can be reached at www.joelschwartzberg.net.

You can listen to the entire interview by clicking the player above or by finding the Grammar Girl podcast on any podcasting app, but if you prefer to read it, we also have a complete (rough) transcript.

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