Yikes! An avalanche of words!

Many of my clients working on business communication say they talk in circles before getting to their point.

Some of my accent modification or accent reduction clients state they don’t have enough words to get to the point.

The image that comes to my mind is snow rolling down a mountain and burying a person.

We all know people that bury us by over-communicating. They say the same thing repeatedly or provide so much information you cannot determine the main point.

At times we each may be such a person!

I definitely did this when my children were teenagers.

So what can you do?

Use a framework that will keep you on topic, organized, and succinct.

Use a framework:

*Problem and solution.

*Problem and questions/concerts.

*Past, present, future.

*Idea and supporting information.

*Them and us.

*Opinion and reason.

Organizing statements:

Further help yourself and your listener with statements that alert and specify the information to be shared.

Some examples:

*We are all having a problem with ……. I would like to offer two solutions.

*The problem I am having is……… I have two specific questions.

*We need to discuss our marketing costs. In the past….. Currently, …. In the future, …..

*I have three points to share on the topic of——-.” State each point with only one sentence!

*I have reached a problem in——. My two concerns or my questions are:…” Again one statement or question per concern.

*My idea is, and here are two reasons to support my idea.” A total of three sentences.

Off-track?

If or when you get carried away get back on track with two simple statements:

“I’m sorry I got carried away. My point is…” End with a single sentence and then ask for questions.

Practice is the key to making lasting change in your communication!

Practice using these leading statements and supporting statements prior to the next meeting with your supervisor. Consider recording yourself and checking that you did not ramble on and on.

Are you ready to learn more about communication training? Set up a free consultation session with us today!