THE ART OF BEING CONCISE

Not long ago an organization asked if I could deliver some trainings for their senior management. The first items on their agenda was “the ability to be concise.” They wanted “concise communication” because that was a problem in the company. They wanted their “Executives to be able to deliver key messages concisely and effectively within the limited time available.” As I read through their list of the “skills” that they required, the idea of “effective delivery,” “clear communication,” able to “convey complex information in a concise and understandable manner,” etc. came up over and over.

That got me thinking. I made a quick dip into the dictionary and found: “To say much in few words, clear and succinct.” That would mean that the opposite of concise is being wordy, verbose, redundant, repeating oneself again and again, and over-talking. It involves being vague, ambiguous, abstract, convoluted, etc. In other words, the way most people talk most of the time and the way politicians talk all the time!

As I continued thinking about this, I realized that this is the primary purpose of the NLP Communication Model—to enable people to be more professional in the way that they communicate, that is, to be clear, concise, and succinct. To do that, the Meta-Model presents 21 linguistic distinctions that are ill-formed along with a set of questions for each one. Then by engaging in a clarification conversation, the dialogue will lead to clarity, precision, and accuracy. It will enable the speaker to get to the point. [See The Structure of Magic or Communication Magic.]

But now I had a problem. This organization wanted training in concise communication along with training in public speaking, negotiating and influencing, and organizational management! And all of that in 3 days! Obviously, they first needed training in Realistic Expectations and probably a crash course on Patience.

Anyway, my challenge was: How could I go about providing training in concise communications without training the entire Meta-Model which itself is a 3 to 5 day training? So I put together the following training outline. The design is for the executives (or whoever receives the training) to first get clear themselves and only then attempt to communicate that to others.

1) Establish clarity. Ask yourself (or another), What is your point? What is the message that you want to get across to someone? Now when I have done this in our Trainers’ Training and in Executive Coaching, I always get answers that are ambiguous and vague.

So I ask the question now about that answer, “What is your point in saying that?” And again, another abstract and sometimes convoluted answer. So again, “What is your point in saying that?” By repeatedly asking this question, as well as asking “clarification questions” about specific words, the person slowly becomes more and more clear. In this way, we can enable a person to think through what he or she is trying to say.

You: “I want to help people adopt a more positive attitude about selling.” Me: Okay, good, and your point is? You: Well coaches and trainers think that selling is negative, but necessary.” Me: That’s your point? ‘Selling is negative and you need to sell.’ That’s what you want to say? You: Well, not exactly. It is that selling does not have to be manipulative or controlling. Me: Okay, so if it not that, what is it? You: It is helping people understand a purchase and make a good choice. Me: So that’s your point!?

2) Test its importance. Once we have a basic ‘message,’ now we can test to see if it is truly important and needs to be said. So we ask, “Why is it important for you to say that, to send that message?” And again, we iterate that question again and again to move up and identify a hierarchy of values for the speaker. Along the way, just to test things, we may ask, “What result or consequence are you hoping to get from this message?”

Me: Tell me why that point is important for you. Why is it important to communicate? You: Because most coaches and trainers are not very good at selling. Me: So they are not good at it, so why is it important to you? To help them get good? You: Yes, to help them get better at selling. Me: And why is that important to you? You: Because then they will have more clients. Me: Yes, that’s for them. What about you? Why is it important to you? You: I will realize my ability as I help them? And then my services will be more in demand. Me: Sounds important to you, and what’s even more important for you? You: I will be fulfilling my responsibilities and my life will be full of lots of meanings.

3) Index the message. Once the speaker has clarified the message and identified its importance, we ask a series of questions to make sure it is well-grounded in reality. Now that we have the what, we ask the other indexing questions: When do you need to send this message? To whom? In what context? By yourself or will you and someone else jointly deliver this message? Once you have indexed your message’s referents, is your point now objective? What are the facts? What are the evaluations you’re making from the facts?

Me: When and where will you be doing this? You: I will be doing it next month at the Holiday Inn. Me: Who will you be contacting and how will you contact them? You: I will be using social media, some videos, some actual flyers. Me: Do you have anyone helping you with this? You: Yes, I have a sales team of three people.

4) Distinguishing the message. Sometimes a message has many parts, many aspects and sometimes what creates ambiguity and vagueness is that we try to say everything at once without distinguishing its parts. “Are you trying to say more than one thing?” “What

are the component parts of your message?” “What part should be first, second, third, etc.?”

Me: So your message now is what? You: Come and learn how to be more effective at selling, to treat it as helping people make a great decision that will add value to their lives. Me: Anything else? You: Yes, come to Holiday Inn on Sept. 5. Me: Anything else? You: Yes, I want to mention the price and how to sign up. Me: Sounds like you know what to say and how to say it.

5) Multiple Perspectives. Take your message, write it down and now examine it. “Is it stated in first-person perspective using ‘I’ language?” How would it sound if stated in second-person perspective? Third-person? Which of these perspectives (first, second, or third) is most relevant and/or effective for your message? Is it stated in the business language of the organization? In psychological language? In everyday parlance?

Me: Now that you’ve written it down, read it to me. You: You can learn to effectively enable people to make an informed and smart decision for your coaching and/or training, what we call ‘sell’ without feeling that you are pushing or controlling people, because you and them see the value. Meet me at Holiday Inn and learn how to bring in lots of new clients. Me: Would you like to state this in first-person rather than second-person? You: I tried that, but it sounds too arrogant, ‘I want to teach you...’ So no. Me: would you like to use more business language? You: No, I think that would turn off coaches. I would do that when I train business people

6) Streamline the message. Write out your point or your message in full. Now go through it and see if you can cut out 1/3 of the words. What words are unnecessary? What “filler” words is in your statement? This is a key process for be coming succinct as every writer knows.

Me: Your statement is already pretty tight and concise, but go ahead and see how many words you can cut out of that statement. You: Discover how to effectively invite people to make a smart decision for your coaching and/or training— ‘selling’ without feeling pushing or controlling, because they see the value. Meet me at Holiday Inn and begin bringing in lots of new clients. Me: Do you like that? How does that feel? You: Yes, I do ... Great.

7) Check the message’s relevance. Is the message or your point relevant? If so, it is relevant to what criteria? Name the criteria. What is the larger context that you are speaking to?

Me: Is that statement relevant? Does it allow you to make your point to your criteria? You: Yes, it does.

8) Test for congruency. Is your message now congruent? Are you fully aligned with it? Do you have any doubts or hesitancies about it? Are there any cross-purposes in the back of your mind about it?

You: I will need to practice it for awhile so it is fully congruent, but that’s no problem.

9) Check your own inner permission. Do you have permission inside yourself to be direct and concise? What do you believe about speaking directly? How direct can you be in presenting your point? What are the qualities of your directness and conciseness?

Me: Do you have internal permission to make this statement and talk this way? You: Yes, now that I’m not thinking about all of the problems of selling or that people basically don’t like it. So, Yes.

10) Practice your message. Once you have done all of these, practice saying your point out-loud or on a recorder. Practice saying it to a friend or a coach. What feedback are you looking for so that you know you are ready?