Be Clear. Be Brief. Be Seated.

by Frank L. Williams

In last month’s column, entitled How to Kill Your Presentation, I shared a number of ways I’ve seen speakers shoot themselves in the foot. In the weeks since, I’ve seen a couple of these in action.

Last week, I attended a meeting during which organizational representatives delivered reports.

One gentleman, who is a nice, well-meaning person, rambled on ad nauseum without a clear message or ask. After the meeting, another person who attended said “I have no idea what his point was or what he wanted us to do.” 

In the same meeting, another person stood up to share a few tips for people volunteering on a specific project. Rather than simply sharing the tips, he delved into far more details than people needed to hear. While the information he shared was good, he spoke so long he began to wear out his welcome. I noticed people starting to check their watches while he was talking.

Years ago, I heard someone give the following advice regarding public speaking: be clear, be brief, and then be seated. 

As I shared in last month’s column, Mark Twain once said, “If you want me to give you a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.” Take time to prepare. Know what you want to say, how you will say it, and how long it will take. 

Be clear. Be brief. Be seated.

Need help preparing yourself or someone on your team to be a more effective spokesperson? Let’s have a conversation!