Say Less. How to Be More Clear and Concise in Meetings and Presentations

We've all been in that meeting or presentation. The one where the person speaking just drones on, giving too much detail and making countless (and pointless) points. Your eyes start to glaze over. Maybe you fight to keep them open and your head from lolling to the side.

Or maybe, just maybe, you've been that person.

One of the biggest things I've been working on with clients lately is helping them get clear and concise in their messaging. Whether it's a meeting or a presentation, they go into too much detail and lose their audience. 

When I suggest they scale back and focus only on what's relevant, they tell me they don't know how. Everything feels important, because it is. So how do you choose what stays and what goes? How much detail is too much?

I get it. When you're that close to something, it's hard to step back and see the 10,000 foot view. So here are a few simple steps.

Start with your audience. This is one of the hardest things to do, and also one of the most important, when it comes to figuring out what stays and what goes. Who are you talking to? What matters to them? What will they actually find useful or relevant? What won't they care about? Don't come at this from your perspective. Put yourself in their shoes. 

Know your objective. Why are you speaking up or presenting in the first place? What do you want people to walk away with? What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result? 

Find your core message. If you had to boil everything down to one sentence, the takeaway your audience leaves with, what would it be? That's your north star. Everything you share should support it. If it doesn't, cut it. Prioritize. Ask what you'd say if you only had 30 seconds. This forces prioritization fast. Whatever survives that exercise usually belongs in the full version too, and everything else becomes supporting detail at best.

Pick one story, not three. People often want to use every example that proves their point instead of picking the best one. One well-chosen story does more work than three mediocre ones stacked together.

You can always expand if someone asks for more, but you can't take back sending a room into an endless spiral of boredom.

Being clear and concise is a leadership skill. Whether you're trying to move up in your career or grow your business, learning to say more with less isn't a nice to have. It's what sets you apart.

If you want to keep building skills like this, take a look at our programs and upcoming events. There's a starting point for wherever you are in your journey.

Speak Success,

Shannon