You’ve probably heard that shorter is better when you’re speaking in public or indeed to the press. Well, yes it is – often but not always. If you just give people the bare facts or the essence of the lesson you’re trying to impart, you might end up a bit forgettable. Look at these examples:
1. It’s important to stick to your time as a speaker or MC.
That makes the point but it’s not at all distinctive. So let’s try this:
2. Lead trainer Guy once spoke at a round table lunch event at a very nice Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Lunch was due to be served before he spoke, after the MC – who was the chief executive of the client – had welcomed people. So, intro at 12.50, lunch at 1pm.
Except the CEO decided that everyone present should introduce themselves individually. There were about 40 of them. He hadn’t checked with anyone about what time the food was coming – so by the time they’d finished it was closer to 1.30 than 1pm. The fish starter, being kept warm under lights, was dry as a bone. He was the boss so there wasn’t much to do about it. The waiting staff were getting pretty annoyed as they had their other schedules to go through.
He’d broken the cardinal rule – give people a bad speech and they’ll grumble a bit but basically forget it. Throw the timing so their food goes bad, they miss a train home or whatever and believe me they’ll remember you.
Speaking needs to be memorable
Now, that’s basically the same point as the simpler instruction to stick to your timing and by all means it’s longer. But for many it’s better. First, it’s only three short paragraphs so it’s hopefully not as indulgent as all that (storytelling is great, brief storytelling is better). More importantly it is a true story, this CEO really did ruin people’s meal with his timing and Guy was there – that makes it our anecdote, Guy can truthfully slot himself into the story and share the experience.
If you’re in PR and your client is going to speak in public or to the press, they may want to get to the data for the very good reason that they find it exciting. Step in. Advise them to do a bit of storytelling. It’s likely to liven things up and make the communication a bit more memorable – and that, I imagine, is the general idea.