Sharpern your message & make your words matter

Sometimes my thoughts are tangled, and my speech doesn’t know where to start or end. But this is a simple yet inspiring book that reminded me how important it is to find and deliver my point clearly and directly. I’m still learning — trying to make it a little better each time I speak or present.

It made me realize that every time we communicate, we’re hoping to do something or move someone — and to make a point, we first need to have one.

In this book, not every tip fits me perfectly, but overall, it’s a gentle and practical guide to communicating with more clarity and purpose.

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The book has 11 short chapters, so while reading, you can practice at the same time and see how much difference it can make. I can say this is a very practical book for articles, presentations, speaking, etc.

1. The Big Flaw — Identifies the common communication problem: people often lack a clear point.
2. Know Your Point — How to define a real point that can be argued and defended.
3. Make Your Point — Techniques for actually conveying your point to others.
4. Sell Your Point — How to “sell” your idea instead of just sharing information.
5. Tailor Your Point — Know your audience to tailor and customize your point, including information, insight, news or updates, inspiration, appreciation, empathy, explanation, comfort.
6. Stay on Point — You can bring up your point a few times, but ensure that you only have one point, and clearly state it: “My point is this…”.
7. Strengthen Your Point — Tools to reinforce your message, such as pausing, adjusting volume, and combining psychological and physical involvement or interaction.
8. Complete Your Point — Concluding strongly and ensuring your message lands.
9. Five Enemies of Your Point — Common things that undermine communication impact.

• #1 “And” — More is less. We don’t always need the word “and”; ending your point earlier makes it sharper and helps you focus on one thing at a time.
• #2 Nonsense words — “uhm,” “ah,” “so,” etc.
• #3 All apologies — This is one point I didn’t fully agree with. The writer mentions that we shouldn’t say how nervous we are, but I think being authentic and vulnerable about feeling nervous is also a way to communicate.
• #4 Speed — Control your speed and volume.
• #5 The Department of Homeland Insecurity — This is an important enemy because “it’s not public speaking people fear; it’s public humiliation.” This is so true.

10. Cases in Point — Applying the concepts to real scenarios (speeches, PowerPoints, emails, etc.). In this chapter, there are checklists you can go through to see whether you truly “get to the point.”

I try to go through this book before preparing for a presentation or speech, to make it structured and get to the point I want to deliver.

To close this review, the writer mentions a popular quote:

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein

Thank you.