Here are a few tips

Better Communication
 1. Watch your word count.
Generally speaking, the more words you
use, the better the chance that you’ll
confuse things. If you talk for half an hour,
people might remember that you gave a
speech, but if you speak for only five
minutes, they’ll remember what you said.
This is the secret to the Gettysburg address:
make your points brief, simple and to the
point, and put it in language the audience
will relate to.
 2. Write less, say more.

• As a corollary to #1 above, write with

clarity and economy. As a rule, keep all
memos to one page or less. If you feel
that you need more space to wax
eloquent, write a one-page summary and
include the rest as an appendix. Chances
are nobody will read past the first page
anyway, so write accordingly.
 3. Let your drawings and
models do the talking.
• It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand
words; use this to your advantage.
Instead of explaining all the details, say
“as you can see on the model (or in the
plan)…” Your drawings and models will
say far more in a glance than you can in
an hour, and much more eloquently.
 4. “Present in reverse.”
• Before starting any presentation, decide what
you want the outcome to be, then design your
talk backwards from that. Take as little time as
necessary to get to your point. As you speak,
trade places with the audience in your head—be
sensitive to how they are responding. Are you
getting good eye contact? Are they paying
attention or are they listless? Do they
understand what you are saying? Are they
convinced? How do you know?
 5. Avoid inconsistency and
exaggeration.
• Don’t say one thing if the drawings or
models say something else. Speak the
facts plainly and let the audience draw its
own conclusions; they’ll appreciate your
confidence in their judgment. And while
it’s OK to be dramatic to make a point, if
you blow things out of proportion, nobody
will believe the next sentence out of your
mouth.
 6. Watch the visuals.
• Your posture, your clothing, and your
presentation material do make a difference. An
eloquent speech can easily be derailed by visual
distractions. Remember that presentation is a
performance art—you are literally doing theater.
Control what your audience sees as much as
what it hears. Graphics are important. Pay
attention to the design of your letterhead,
brochures, drawing layouts, proposal formats,
etc. Make sure they’re attractive and easy to
read. Like the clothes you wear, they tell a story
about you whether you like it or not.
 7. Go for closure.
• The two main purposes of a presentation are to
share information or make decisions. You’ll
never arrive at a conclusion unless the audience
says “yes.” Make this easy on them by having all
the relevant and required information at hand—
“decision-ready information” —then don’t be
afraid to ask for an answer. If the client can’t
commit, find out why. Remember that the
largest part of being a good communicator is
being a good listener.
 8. Know when to stop.

• Many a cake has been ruined by being left in the

oven too long. If you plan to speak for five
minutes, don’t take seven. Remember Thomas
O’Neill’s famous dictum that “when you’ve got
the votes, count the roll.” Your audience will
appreciate your brevity and will reward you with
their confidence (and their votes). “Over-
communicating” can be just as dangerous as
“under-communicating.”