This self-help book aims at assisting you to understand how to communicate more succinctly, not only in 60 seconds but in all situations. It stresses that if you express yourself without excess verbiage, you will always have the competitive edge as you will be interacting to be listened to and you will take the high ground in a group. However, succinct communication does not mean becoming monosyllabic; it means being able to get to the heart of the matter quickly so that the listeners would want to hear more and concentrate on the information you convey. None can forget Abraham Lincoln'sGettysburg address which contained merely 260 words and took him just two minutes to deliver. Yet it remains one of the most memorable speeches of all time.
You can say a lot in 30 seconds if you deliver your message in a planned manner, using strong word pictures. The author advises you to aim for a specific but limited outcome as it can create a powerful reaction in your listeners.
Information overload has to be avoided but needs to be provided instantly. As people have a very short attention span, it is best to connect in 50 seconds and develop the theme. The author lists the essentials of good communication which are as follows:
Hook, which means opening your presentation with a joke as it engages the audience and presents the speaker in a favourable light, or narrating an anecdote or narrating an incident in a catchy manner as any of them can hold the audience spellbound, prompting the listeners to want to hear more.
The next step is to structure the presentation even if it is a short speech. Structure gets you started and keeps you on the track, making it easier for the listeners to follow you.
Imagery works wonders because at times words alone may not be powerful enough. As abstract language is hard to understand and remember, let your words make pictures, taking your listeners into your narrative.
Next point is to remember that speakers who lack energy become boring to hear. Energy is vital so as to arouse your audience and persuade them to listen to your presentation with verve and enthusiasm. But what is most vital is that you need to have a focus and an objective.
The author talks of those occasions when you have to speak to an audience on the spur of the moment, as seen in the broadcast media where the ultimate consideration is your ability to resort to succinct communication. That is how the concept of sound bites has arisen.
?M.G.
(Macmillan India Ltd, 2/10 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002.)
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