Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less

Chapter 20

Got-a-Minute Updates

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

—Douglas Adams

Long story, short. Tighten your message to be sure your audience stays positive and on track.

The “Say-Do” Ratio

When someone asks you, “How's it going?” be ready to give a straight answer.

Everyone needs to give superiors updates. It's a part of our daily reality. Typically, we give these progress reports on the go. People stop by the office, shoot off an e-mail, bump into each other in the hallway, or pick up the phone and call.

These are moments when it's vital to paint a clear picture.

Years ago, I worked in a PR agency and managed a large team. Each member was responsible for generating media coverage for our clients.

One of my constant concerns was letting clients know how we could generate prominent press coverage. In PR, it's difficult to get a notable media outlet like CNN, the Wall Street Journal, or Forbes to write about your client. You've constantly got to be looking for news hooks, story angles, and reasons for them to cover what you think is worth their time and consideration. There's a lot of groundwork necessary to generate that kind of result: building lists, researching what the news outlets cover, understanding what they anticipate in covering, understanding the news cycles, or identifying people within the organization that are qualified to speak to the media.

So when I would walk the halls or check on my staff, I would always ask people, “How's ...