by Erna George. If we try to land a “brand message + positioning” in a 20- or 30-second piece of communication, as consumers’ attention span and/or time is limited, why do we think the workplace is any different? There is power in brevity (or there may be if you nail the message).
Time, the greatest commodity
While many things have adapted to time being the greatest commodity these days, in many instances, planning, presentations and discussions have not. Never before has the art of clarity been more important and more necessary, yet we still expect people to sit through presentations of 50+ slides, introductory meetings are requested to be an hour or longer or agencies call a day in advance for a meeting. This dichotomy needs moderation.
A well-developed and -considered argument may be told concisely. It is often when you’re unsure that you need to fill the space with ‘ums’ and extra words or perhaps a need to showcase your effort by displaying all the details. These days, I find myself impatient days with anyone who feels the need to explain their full process, including hours spent or those presenting detailed base theory to a marketing fraternity.
Illustrate your point in the most impactful way but maintain focus upon the point — avoid too many layers that add complexity and could actually bore. You are more likely to be considered smarter by sharpening your views to fewer, more impactful points.
Long explanations an indulgence
CEOs don’t have time for long explanations. This is an indulgence that seldom presents itself. If you get more time with them, use this to explore what they think on broader or other current issues as this will give you more insight into how you can win in your role. Get to the point — tell the story that is most important — the background or business need and opportunity, in headline-style, cover the options considered, then present the way forward with a short reference as the reason or illustrate why it is the optimal course. Don’t forget to clearly articulate the business impact, the ROI or the cost of the risk. If there is time, present the timing for execution or other relevant execution-critical measures.
While you must have backup slides to substantiate or as evidence, the core requires about 10 slides, including title slides. Consider putting your killer (impactful, summary) slides up front. This may feel risky but may be far more effective. I learnt this again not too long ago where, if I’d just presented my killer slides upfront, a meeting with our CEO could have taken half the time and been a more-straightforward, rich discussion.
But note that brevity and convincing conciseness are hard to achieve.
Executive summaries
This conundrum was a reality when I worked in a qualitative research role: sometimes, after moderating groups, clients would say, “I know the report is only due in a couple of weeks so could you just send an executive summary by the end of the week?” I would want to explode with frustration and implode with anxiety, as an executive summary is a shortened version of a longer report and, in addition, it takes sometimes far longer to write than the full report itself.
However, the power of having an executive summary is that it gives you space and time to think. I can cover the ‘full’ report without reading it all and, if a particular part intrigues or raises concerns, I can go to the detail to get more acquainted with the specifics. Summarised thinking provides the gift of clarity and time.
Short presentations require more trust so your statements must be made credible by the right supporting evidence. Headlines or bottom boxes should read like a succinct, linear story. Be brave, go short —ensure you have covered all your bases with the right research, balanced views and an expression that lands the message in a memorable way.
Consider:
- Developing your presentation as if your time will be reduced to 15-20 minutes (past experience has taught me that reduced time becomes a reality more often than not)
- Using illustrations (graphs, frameworks or visuals) to land your position
- Summaries take time, so start early to allow multiple edits and, if timing does not permit, find a colleague to help edit — be ruthless with words to showcase the idea
One of the hardest lessons for many in marketing — happy summarising!
Erna George is the marketing executive of Pioneer Foods’ Cereals & Other division. She has worked on both client and agency sides with diverse brands and categories — from FMCG, alcohol and agriculture to financial services and entertainment — in countries across many geographies, including South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Philippines and Brazil. She contributes the monthly “Fair Exchange” column, concerning business relationships and partnerships in marketing and brandland, to MarkLives.
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