Alicia Abell - Business grammar, style & usage

Wielding his red editing pen, my former boss, President Bill Clinton, used to mutter, Words, words, words, as he slashed away unnecessary fluff from the speeches wed given to him. Clinton wanted to speak to Americans, not over them, and he believed quite strongly that filling his text with unnecessary rhetoric only alienated the audience. Clinton was spot on. One of my colleagues used to say he was more Hemingway than Faulkner. Clinton wanted workers on the factory floor to understand him as well as the academics at Harvard and the members of Congress in Washington.

To achieve that goal meant never sacrificing the content or quality of an argument, but just framing it in a way that would keep our audience engaged, no matter what their level in life. It also meant keeping the Presidents speeches organized, so that he offered a coherent argument, not a rambling lecture that would require a decoder ring to figure out.

Its the same as talking to a doctor who can describe your condition in laymans terms, versus the one whos had his head in the books for too long. Theres a reason, in the end, Clinton is often described as one of the greatest communicators of the last century a title shared with Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. While Woodrow Wilson delivered powerful speeches, and his texts are worthy of bound volumes, no one ever accused him of being too cozy with the lower classes.

Speaking to people, not over them, isnt easy. In fact, Id argue that boiling down ideas into Clinton-speak is even harder than using the high-brow industry-speak. But its a skill thats essential to great communication, no matter what your field of expertise. And its an approach thats as applicable to a memorandum from the CEO to shareholders as it is to a speech at a board of directors meeting.

Think about it: How many meetings have you sat through where the speaker loses you less than five minutes into the discussion? Maybe his talk is filled with language so technical that you need a Ph.D. to figure it out. Or its so disorganized that it looks like the floor of your college dorm room. Perhaps he doesnt even try to connect with his audience no jokes, no stories, just numbers. Or maybe he leaves you wondering what in the world he wanted from you.

Theres simply no reason anything you hear or read should ever lose your attention or even worse intimidate you. The last thing any communicator should do, at any level, is marginalize his audience. The most important thing is to have your audience buy in to you and your message; the more comfortable they feel, the more theyll be engaged with what youre saying. Youve received the highest compliment when someone in the audience leaves your discussion feeling as though you were talking directly to him.

This skill isnt easy to acquire, but you can start on your way by following five simple steps:

1. Organize your message. Like a good lawyer, build your argument in a coherent manner; the more your audience can follow along, the more attention theyll pay. Theres a simple saying in the speechwriting world: First tell your audience what you plan to tell them; then tell them; and then close by telling them what you just told them.

2. Make it easy to follow. Arrange your points in a way that encourages your audience to follow along. I usually organize my points numerically throughout the speech. (For example, Today Im going to discuss three reasons to buy this book. First, this book will help you Second ) Also, dont fill your speech with two-dollar words you learned on the SAT. People shouldnt have to carry a dictionary to follow you. Thats not to say, of course, that you shouldnt use descriptive language to help get your point across.

3. Make your best points first and last. When youre making your argument, put your best point first and your second best point last. You always want to come out of the gate strong and leave your audience with a good impression.

4. Encourage your audience to like you. If you can, start with a joke or a good story, even if its recounting something you heard on the Tonight Show. The more you give the impression youre a regular person, the more people will like you, relax, and actually listen to what youre saying.

5. Keep it short