Brevity is the soul of wit
William Shakespeare
There is a long running debate among cartoonists about which is the best form of humor: single panel or multi-panel. The latter group will say that the extra frames are needed to set up the punchline.
The single panel guys will say that they are superior because they can get to the point quicker.
Speeches are like that. If you want to be a popular speaker, keep it short. No one wants to listen to a forty-five minute dissertation. When the organizers ask you to speak for ten or fifteen minutes, use eight.
Sprinkle in a little humor. Everyone likes humor.
That is my approach nowadays. Keep it short, keep it light. Get off the stage.
When I was in uniform, I figured no one in the audience cared about what I was saying, mostly because they all knew more about the subject matter than me. My solution? Get through it as quickly as possible.
As I got older, I figured no one in the audience cared about what I was saying, period. Solution? Get through it as quickly as possible.
Keep it short. Keep it light. Get off the stage.
And you’ll have them eating out of your hands.
