Imagine a world where speakers got to their point and made their case all within six minutes! Just think of what you could do with all that extra time. No more setting through 60 minutes of nothing but wind (and sometimes fury, signifying nothing). Not only would you save a massive amount of time, everyone would get more done because people with a point to make would make it and people who cared about it would get it. Everyone would be happy.It’s not just a fantasy. It’s well within the reach of every speaker. Ron Huff tells us how in his short book Say It In Six.Here’s how a typical professional sales presentation goes:
- Small talk and our introduction
- Why we’re here today
- Here’s who we are and how we’re distinctive
- Here are our core values
- Here’s how we do what we do and our proprietary process
- Here’s how all of that relates (sometime remotely) to something you care about
- Got any questions?
- Thanks for letting us be here today and closing remarks
Ron Huff says there’s a better way:
- The Burning Issue: Jump to the burning issue right away. Preachers call this the “big idea.”
- The Overview: Take no more than 60 seconds to paint the picture of how you came up with the big idea.
- IT: Make the Idea Tangible (IT). Give your audience some way to see or experience your big idea.
- The Payoff: Show your audience how your big idea will benefit them.
- Interactive Close: Specifically ask your audience to take some action.
To put Huff’s system into practice you’ll need to:
- Know what you want to accomplishKnow why that matters to your audience
- See how your goals create something worthwhile for your audience
- Be willing to dump everything that doesn’t directly contribute to the big idea
- Be willing to edit, edit, edit, and the cut some more
Be creative in making the big idea real for your audienceHuff, R. (1996). Say it in six: How to say exactly what you mean in six minutes or less. Kansas City, MO: Andrews and McMeel, A Universal Press Syndicate Company.
