One of the qualities of a good talk is succinctness—being able to say in a few words what is the guts of your message.Joel Stein says:
“AS A WRITER, it's very difficult to reach people because it requires them to read. So, in this splintered world of headline skimmers, I had to change my goals. I no longer dreamed of writing a bestselling literary novel or syndicating my column nationwide. I wanted to be on a Starbucks cup.”
If you can’t write the nub of your message on a Starbucks coffee cup, then you’re not ready to open your mouth.
If you are writing an article and you can’t summarise your message on a tea cup, you’d better have another cup of tea.
Make yourself a coffee and let Joel Stein’s ideas percolate in your mind.
Joel Stein, I am a Venti Scribe, L.A. Times, 23 March 2007.
Image: A Starbucks cup with fluid for thought [click to make the cup a grande].