Wandering in the Desert
is how I describe that feeling you get when you watch a speaker talking and talking, looking for their point, as if it might hopefully arise from the desert sands like a mirage.
You know they don’t know where they’re going. You might even see it in their eyes. Not a pretty picture.
It’s Easy to Get Caught in Extraneous Verbiage
Sometimes we think if we just keep speaking long enough, we’ll eventually get where we need to go. But actually, the reverse is true. Making the point right up front, even leading with it when you can, is the quickest way to hook your audience, get yourself on track, and knock it out of the park.
Today’s Video: Avoid Preamble (1:52)
Don’t Bury The Lede
This is an old newspaper term referring to beginning a story with the less important facts or details, making the reader work too hard to get to the good stuff.
Think Headlines
The Subject Line of your email is a great way to think about leading with a headline. I’m guessing you wouldn’t write, “This email I am sending you to read today is about…”
Yet we’ve all heard speakers say, “Today I’m here to talk to you a little bit about…” I know you would never do this. But, you know, others. Try opening with the words that would follow “about.”
Here’s to losing all the preamble and instead jumping in with a good, bold headline. Give it a try! It’s fun. And audiences love it.
You can do this!
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