You've Got 8 Seconds: Communication Secrets for a Distracted World

by Paul Hellman

Speaking of food, here’s a simple message about nutrition from author Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”3 Actually that’s three messages. The first, “eat food,” means to avoid processed products. Still, the whole thing is seven words—and six are one syllable. Try this: Use words. Not a lot. Mostly simple. (Michael Pollan’s nutrition advice, version 2.0. Food for thought.)

Most messages and presentations are designed from the speaker’s point of view. That’s upside down. Imagine you’re sitting in the audience. What would capture your attention? Every audience has three questions To answer the questions, use these tools: 1. Why should we listen? (What’s in it for us?) 1. Purpose statement 2. What exactly are you saying? 2. Main message 3. What should we do with this info? 3. Call to action Focus your opening, body, and close: