1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 1: tip is to say less. There is almost never a 4 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: case where talking more will make your original point more clear. 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: Say what you are going to say, and then just stop. 6 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: Today's tip was inspired by a bit of advice in 7 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: Bill McGowan's new book, Speak Memorably. McGowan is a communications 8 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: coach and has worked with many people to help them 9 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: present better. McGowen is often trying to get people to 10 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: edit their remarks. In his book, he mentions that we 11 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: might rationally know that a concise talk or answer is best, 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: But somewhere rummaging around in the backs of our brains, 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: is this fallacy that the longer I talk, the more 14 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: convincing I'm going to be. He writes. Perhaps you have 15 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: seen this. You are at a lovely non profit fundraiser 16 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: that is outside on a summer night. The president of 17 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: the group gets up to welcome people. He says how 18 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: excited he is that everyone is there. He thanks everyone 19 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: for coming. Then he mentions again how excited he is 20 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: that everyone is there, And did he thank everyone for everything? Yet, 21 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: what a lovely evening, he is so excited, and so 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: on it goes. Eventually everyone is desperately hoping to get 23 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: back to the food and their conversations. So please don't 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: do that. If there is any chance you will be 25 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: called upon to say a few words, and I do 26 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: mean a few words, then think ahead of time about 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: what you will say. Practice and time yourself, practice again, 28 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: and see if you can cut out any of it. 29 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: Whatever you are going to say, say it once and 30 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: then stop. You are not more convincing the longer you talk. Instead, 31 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: whatever good will you began with evaporates and people just 32 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: don't want to hear any more. They start hoping you 33 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: will stop, which is not really a good relationship to 34 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: be in with any sort of listener. This is true 35 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: for speaking and meetings as well. If you have a 36 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: point to make, make it, then stop repeating the same 37 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: point a second time tends not to reinforce it. It 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: just wastes every one's time. Same if you are asking 39 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: a question in a public speaking situation, a question should 40 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: be a sentence or two with a question mark at 41 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: the end of it. This should not be a speech 42 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: in its own right, made because the person put their 43 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: hand up before organizing their thoughts. Sometimes people say more 44 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: because they are nervous, But if this is any sort 45 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: of hostile situation, even better to say less. You don't 46 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: want to accidentally say more than you meant to and 47 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: incriminate anyone. If you think about it, no one ever says, wow, 48 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: I wish those welcoming remarks at dinner went on a 49 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: lot longer. So say less. You are more likely to 50 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: get your point across and everyone will be happier. In 51 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 52 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 53 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 54 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 55 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 56 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 57 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.