Years ago, at the Montreal “Just for Laughs” Comedy Festival, I watched a comedian do 7 minutes of material in 6 minutes.
It was exhausting to watch him and he was moving with such speed that even when he got a laugh, he stepped on it to move onto the next joke.
When I chatted with him in the bar after and commented on how fast he was cooking, he said, “Yeah, I had a lot of material. I had to get it all in.” But was it really worth it?
The answer is no.
Use “The 10% Rule”… even for a meeting. Your client, prospect or audience doesn’t need to hear everything. They just need to hear enough.
Plan for less. Give yourself time to breathe. And give those to whom you’re presenting time to absorb what you have to offer. Cramming your version of “7 minutes into 6” is only going to lead to a feeling of being unfulfilled — for you and for them.
Breeeeathe.
1 thought on “Presentation & Communication Skills – Preparation and Time – The 10% Rule”
Yes it’s really true when you mentioned “your clients don’t need to hear everything,they just need to hear enough” .. But did you also consider that if your clients Wanna Read You they would love to hear everything in order for them to get to know you better. The more you open up,the more you get to know them as well.They will be much more interested with not just you but with whatever it is your doing in your life.