People can process 700 words per minute.
You can speak at 150 words per minute.
Therefore, your listeners have 600 wpm excess capacity that competes against your 150 wpm.
Your competition sounds like:
Did I email Louise back? . . . What’s for dinner? . . . I like her shirt, I wonder where she got it . . Maybe I could ask her? . . No, better not. . . . Is she done talking yet? . . . Just politely nod and smile . . . I hate my fake smile . . I should practice more often
This challenge is exasperated by e-distractions and dwindling attention spans. The tactic of building up to your point is gone.
Get to the point quickly, powerfully, and succinctly.
The truth hurts . . . BUT no one is reading your long emails and few are listening to you past 15-20 minutes.
Hat tip to: “Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less”, by Joseph McCormack
