I don’t remember when or where I read or heard this quote, but it has stuck with me because of its irony.

The person in question was defending either his rambling speech or verbose piece of writing which had been criticized, “It would have been much better but I just didn’t have time to make it short!”

There’s a valuable lesson for all of us to remember: Sometimes in communications long is necessary. Truth be told, however, shorter is usually preferred.

Have you noticed that radio and television commercials are now about thirty-seconds in length? Have you also noticed that the exact same commercial will often run two or three minutes after it has run the first time? Apparently, they’ve decided that repetition trumps length.

  What does this have to do with you? As an entrepreneur, your ability to communicate is your greatest asset–in attempting to get your message out to the buying public.

1). Seriously analyze your writing and speaking communication styles. Perhaps you would benefit by having someone look at your typical emails and listen in on your phone conversations. We’re not always the best judge of our own material.

2). It is much easier to ramble than to be concise. Abe Lincoln figured it out with his Gettysburg Address. Ernest Hemingway demonstrated the skill in virtually every novel he ever wrote. Unfortunately, most politicians and many preachers have not yet mastered the art of keeping it short, sweet and effective.

Bottom line, I’ve yet to hear someone say, “That was an awesome speech (or email or sales presentation). I just wish it would have been longer!”

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