CUT THROUGH THE CLUTTER

“If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought” DENNIS ROCH

Cutting through the clutter and expressing

the CORE message CLEARLY

Three key principles for how people with presence think and plan their communication

• Grab attention to be heard.

• Summarize succinctly to be clear.

• Be brief to be appreciated.

Grab Their Attention to Be Heard

Beginnings should grab people’s attention whether you’re writing an epic novel, telling an anecdote, or presenting your budget for the year. But beginnings can’t go on too long, or they become the muddled middle.

Don’t use the mince words with a warm-up drill.

Summarize Succinctly to Be Clear

• Your presence cannot be felt unless you can say or write your massage succinctly .

• Summarize succinctly to cut through the clutter to the core message, problem, solution, or issue.

Be Brief to Be Appreciated

Lengthy, disorganized presentations leave listeners wondering:

1.what’s the massage?Or

2.What do you want me to do about the massage?

Or3.Why did you waste so much time giving

me that message?

Brevity and Summary are not Synonymous

Summary= Short version of something longer.

But that “short version” may not be brief.

• While giving a comprehensive summary has great value, a summary is not necessarily. Brief is better

“Any clod can have the facts; Having

opinions is an art”

CHARLES MCCABE

• People with presence have confidence in their recommendations and opinions. The top brass frequently interrupt hesitant briefers with a probe, “ So what’s your opinion on this?” If you’re the expert, spit it out. Don’t force others to ask your point or your conclusion.