Get to the Point! by Joel Schwartzberg is the best book I’ve ever read on communicating ideas effectively. True to the title, it’s short (128 small pages, a mere 2 hour audiobook) but direct in explaining the practical communication techniques.

My notes from the book (but you should read the whole thing!):

Know and heavily emphasize your point

  • Ensure that you 100% understand the specific point you want to communicate. You must be able to defend it clearly and concisely
  • It’s OK if you repeat your point multiple times. Emphasis on key ideas is a good thing
  • Focus each sentence on conveying a single, clear main point. Ensure your message is unambiguous, leaving no room for misinterpretation

Communicate thoughtfully

  • Consider who the audience is. What do they want to know? What is truly valuable to them? What presentation format and style fits them best?
  • It takes twice as long to understand something than it does to say it. Therefore, pauses are important both for your audience to process / understand your point and for emphasizing its importance
  • It’s best to speak slowly so that the audience can fully understand. Projecting your voice helps with this since it takes more energy to talk so you naturally slow down
  • Use body language to add to the clarity. The body language should be confident and fit the message

Use your words effectively

  • Avoid using vague adjectives like “excellent,” “fantastic,” “terrific,” or “very good.” Use specific wording like “efficient”, high return on investment, resilient
  • Keep your words as few as possible. The more words, the more noise
  • Avoid crutch words like “um”, “so”, “you know”. They’re useless and don’t add anything
  • Your point must have a singular focus. Avoid things like “it will make us efficient and more resilient”. Stick to one main idea and drive it home
  • Make sure that by the end of your speech, your audience fully understands your point and the value it has to them