With Well-Chosen Words, You Can Deliver a Key Message That’s a ‘Money Quote’
Brevity is the communicator’s superpower that delivers a message to your intended audience unadorned with clutter or confusion.
Nowhere is brevity more important than in dealing with the news media. Reporters look and listen for good quotes. People who respond to the media should routinely employ brevity to deliver good quotes.
A good quote doesn’t just sound good. The “money quote” consists of a few words artfully assembled that make your point clearly and inescapably. You say exactly what you mean so your readers and listeners know exactly what you mean. No more. No less.
Before you can deliver a money quote, you need to prepare one. That involves condensing your message to a few essential words that convey and support your main point. In PR parlance, that’s called a “key message”.
In many circumstances, a key message isn’t just what you want to say; it’s what you need to say in response to questions or allegations. Saying it with brevity and directness is the best offense – and defense.
Unfortunately, saying more by saying less is one of the hardest lessons to learn – or teach. The impulse to keep talking or adding more detail can overwhelm the good sense to keep it brief.
A fatal mistake by many knowledgeable people is saying too much, diluting the focus on their key message. Success isn’t determined by how much you know but how well you’ve prepared to say what needs to be said – and your willingness to repeat it as often as necessary.
The enemies of brevity include jargon, extraneous detail, wordiness and a cocky attitude. Brevity’s best friend is a ruthless editor.
Online and on YouTube you can find bundles of advice on how to write and speak such as three pillars of speaking, five pillars of effective communication and seven rules for excellent English speaking. Most never mention brevity.
For example, the Five Pillars of Effective Communication touts clarity, active listening, mutual understanding, relevance and feedback. All good points but the absence of brevity is glaring.
The objective of effective communication should be to deliver a message, preferably a well-constructed, thoughtful and concise key message. Achieving that objective requires the self-discipline to be brief, meaningful and memorable. Reporters will be happy with something they can use. Audiences will appreciate a clear message. You will be happy you said something useful.
As Shakespeare said, brevity is the soul of wit. In our age of the internet and instant communication, brevity is the salvation of a key message.
Lessons from Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson lived in an age of letters. He wrote 20,000 of them. He also wrote the Declaration of Independence, which is considered one of the most masterful documents ever created. By his own admission, Jefferson was his own ruthless editor.
If a word didn’t add value, Jefferson didn’t use it. He edited his words down to what was essential to convey the meaning he intended. By any standard, he was successful.
Nothing evidences his commitment to brevity better than his instructions for the words to go on the obelisk marking his grave – and “not a word more”. His strict instructions were followed to the letter. His inscription reads:
Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia
Jefferson omitted his obvious achievements to put the focus on what he regarded as his most memorable achievements. He employed brevity as his strategy for eternity.
Good Stories, Short Stories
A colleague once said, not every story is a short story. That’s true. But if you want someone to engage with a long or even medium-sized story, you need to make it interesting in short order.
The same principle holds true for a press release, press conference, presentation or speech. If you don’t capture readers/listeners in the first 30 words or 30 seconds, you risk losing their attention. In our age, collective attention spans continue to shrink.
As a minister friend of mine once advised on how to deliver a sermon, “Hook them before you try to save them.” You can never impress a reader or listener unless you first interest them in what you have to say. Your window of opportunity is narrow and your competition for attention is fierce. Brevity is your best ally.
“I Just Have Too Much to Say”
We all have a lot to say. The challenge is saying it so someone pays attention.
Brevity is a superpower you don’t have to be superman to obtain. All you need is a pen with lots of red ink – and the courage to use it.
