Complexity doesn’t work. Especially when you’re trying to explain yourself. So keep it simple.
Your message will be better understood — and it’ll be more persuasive.
Simplicity sounds simple. But it isn’t.
Listen closely to all the noise competing for your attention.
Politicians and TV talking heads are the best (or worst, depending on your perspective). True, their explanations and rationales are succinct and sound good on the surface. But scratch below the skin, and you’ll realize they speak in sound-bites devoid of substance.
At the opposite extreme are those so deeply engaged in an issue that feel they must share every bit of minutiae that leads them to their conclusion.
Millennials have two acronyms for this: TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) and TMI (Too Much Information).
Your listeners don’t lack intelligence. But they do have short attention spans and hence lack patience.
A good rule of thumb, if you’re lucky, is that you have a 30-second honeymoon period to make your case. More accurately, you have about 5 seconds to capture a listener’s attention — and the next 25 to persuade. So you must keep your narrative moving quickly and seamlessly.
Longer than that, and you’ll lose your audience.
Your challenge is compressing your message and rationale into those few moments.
- First, you must set your goal (a.k.a. What are you trying to achieve?) Next, dig until you know the facts. Guesswork won’t do. Neither will disingenuousness or fabrication.
- Then, distill what’s truly important from the chaff, until all that remains is the essence. What may seem vital to you, may be peripheral to your audience. That’s why fresh eyes — outside eyes — tend to see better.
- Finally, deftly package your message in imagery that conjures positive emotions and language that compels.
Thus armed, you will be confident and convincing. That, after all, is the purpose of storytelling.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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