Are you as concise as you could be?
Are you busy? I’m busy. Almost everyone I know is busy. As busy people, we don’t have the time or patience for long-winded speakers.
In every meeting I attend, I hope the speakers will be concise. Yet most of them aren’t. Many of them take 5-6 sentences to state what could be explained in 1 or 2.
And it’s starting to drive me batty.
I’m meeting with smart people. You probably are too. So why aren’t we all more concise? Because we don’t take the time to be.
It’s time to break that habit. We have limited attention spans (admit it, you do). Being concise helps keep your listeners engaged so they register what you are saying.
It’s time to respect our listeners and improve our reputations by being concise. Not sure where to start? Here are 3 tips:
- Make a short Message Map. I know you’re not going to make a full Message Map before you open your mouth every single time. And you don’t need to. But do take a moment to think about why you are speaking. What is the one key message you need to get across? Knowing that will help you be more concise.
- Listen before you speak. Instead of only partially listening because you’re planning what you’re going to say next or checking emails on your phone, truly listen to other speakers. That way you can respond with a thoughtful message tailored to their specific needs. That will help you be more concise naturally.
- Practice. Conciseness doesn’t happen overnight. Record yourself during meetings and presentations. Listening to yourself will help you improve. In addition to helping you eliminate filler words, listening to yourself will give you other ideas on where you could have been more concise. Be thoughtful, and practice being concise every chance you get – even in your personal life.
Being concise can help you get your message heard. Plan your message before you speak, listen actively, and practice to improve your communications.
Have questions about marketing and communications? Subscribe to our blog or email me at ariana@crystalclearcomms.com.
Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik.
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