Keep it short!

The ability to communicate well can make a critical difference in life, and especially in your career. A study conducted by AT&T and Stanford University revealed that the top predictor of professional success and upward mobility is enjoyment of and ability for public speaking. Yet surveys also show that our number one fear — even more than death — is speaking in public.

So let me give you one pointer that can really multiply your effectiveness. Moreover, I will be very brief, because that is the pointer: Keep it short! If you are speaking in public, the best way to impress an audience is to finish early. “My father gave me this advice on speech making,” said James Roosevelt, son of FDR: “Be sincere … be brief … be seated.” In this so-called information age, many people have the attention span of a flashcube. So know your Big Idea, hit it hard, hit it well, finish strong, and, for maximum impression, finish soon. The less opportunity you give your audience’s minds to wander, the more they will appreciate you and remember what you had to say.

“Isn’t it time you stopped picturing people in their underwear… and learned some real techniques for conquering your fear of public speaking?”