Too Much, Too Fast, Too Boring

I see it happening over and over in prospecting meetings and pitches, and we’re all guilty of it—talking too much, too fast, and sounding too boring. Here are my pointers for recognizing and combatting these three major mistakes…

Mistake #1: We talk too much.

This tends to happen at the start of a pitch, as we forge ahead and forget to pause and relate to our audience. When we get nervous, we tend to ramble. If we talk for too long a stretch, we lose our listeners. Talk just enough, stop yourself, then ask a question to connect with your audience.

Mistake #2: We talk too fast.

Feeling nervous or excited is usually the culprit when we’re going a mile a minute. You can be passionate and enthusiastic while maintaining a good cadence but be mindful about talking too fast. Slow down to make sure that your audience can hear you; if they can’t keep up, you’re not getting your point across.

Mistake #3: We’re boring.

Especially when speaking with new people, we sound boring. It’s not the content that’s a bore, but our tone of voice, our cadence, and inflection that tend to stay the same. Make sure that you're projecting your voice, that you're pausing, that you're changing your tone. A little higher, then a little lower; a little faster, then a little slower. Find ways to engage your audience with your voice.

Pitching can be rational, logical, and scientific, but it’s also a performance art. Strive to be compelling and intentional about your words and tone when you're prospecting, and your audience will remain attentive.

Onward.

Tom