Using incredible parallels between things is definitely a powerful way to communicate a concept or idea. If this correlation involves cooking and communication, well, we just landed on the “Perfect Pitch”, written by Bill McGowan.

The two main points stressed out by the author are: less is more and simpler is better.

When we apply this concept to the cooking, “the more you boil down and reduce a sauce, the more dynamic the flavor“. This leads us to the importance of brevity in communication.

It seems a simple concept to embrace… as long as we don’t hang out with the “saboteurs”!!!. Chapter 5 of the book covers the main reasons why people put more words than required. Below you can find an outline of what I call “nonessential friends”…. so you can recognize them and keep them away from your next “speech”!!!

Enjoy the reading and let’s dive right in those key “wasters”.

First:

People usually confuse elaboration with the capability to persuade someone to accept a desired way of thinking. This brings the conversation to expand with unnecessary repetitions and explanations. The end result is boredom!

Second:

Silence is often the best way to communicate. Being smart is not measured by the number of words used. Add value to the conversation and not simply words.

Third:

One of the greatest gifts you can give to a person is TIME. By effecting communicating, you can convey the core messages, keep an elevated level of engagement and create a high performance culture. The time “saved” in your conversation is an additional perk for the listener.

Fourth:

This is often the result of not timing or rehearsing a presentation/speech. If you welcome audience participation, a good rule of thumb is to consider one third of the time to be dedicated to that.

Fifth:

Never assume that the other person is interested to hear every little detail of your story. If a person wants to know more, he/she will clearly show signs of engagement.

Enjoy your next “Perfect Pitch”!