I couldn’t have said it more succinctly myself. Mark Allen’s Opinion piece “A Shorter Route to Communication” on NPR sings the praises of brevity. In this case, he’s talking about keeping to the point and cutting down verbiage in emails and other electronic communications. But this is good advice for speakers as well.
In my book, Seven Steps to the Podium , I point out that shorter is always better when it comes to speeches. Ever notice how audiences tend to get restless and inattentive after a speech goes on for longer than 20-25 minutes?
If a speaker is particularly gifted and a speech is well-crafted, audiences can stay engaged for much longer. But that kind of public speaking experience is a rarity. Most of the time, listeners are grateful when speakers get to their key message and wrap up their comments in 20 minutes or less.
So, like Mark Allen, the next time you have to endure a 45-minute speech that could have been delivered in 15, just put one word on the evaluation form: “Shorter.”
Musings and information about key speeches and public discourse. Historical perspectives and guidelines on effective communications.
