While networking or meeting other business owners such as yourself, have you ever encountered someone with a tendency to explain themselves too much? Perhaps you asked this person what do they do and the first thing that comes out of their mouth is: "It's really hard to explain but let me try," followed by a long and detailed story you somehow get lost in. Or, perhaps that person we are talking about is you. If that's the case, don't worry you are not alone, we have all done that at one point or another.In our lives we have all had the unpleasant experience of being misunderstood, being placed into a box we don't belong or being judged for something we have nothing to do with. That can be very frustrating. Seriously, if someone is to accuse us of something, wouldn't it be fare to at least get their facts straight first before jumping into any conclusion? So what do we do? We try to explain to make it more clear.If you are a recent entrepreneur or if you are in the process of changing the direction in your business, this can be a very sensitive subject. In your desperate attempts to make sure people understand you correctly, you use long explanations to get your point across.
Unfortunately what people usually hear is the frustration in your voice. It is very important to realize that people tune out when they hear long explanations. No one likes to be lectured. Yet, most people are too polite to interrupt someone who is passionately talking about something. So they nod with a smile while listening. Chances are, at some point they have probably lost you and can't hear you anyway.Perhaps not to such a dramatic extent, but I bet your message could be a lot shorter and simpler. When it comes to marketing messages, the rule of thumb is: less is more. Try to find a way to describe what you do in one short sentence. That would be a great challenge to start with. Ideally, your message should be no longer than twenty seconds.Remember, if your message speaks to them, or if what you do directly answers their need or the need of someone else they know, they will want to hear more. And that's when you can start explaining. But if they are not your potential clients, you are wasting your time and energy with your long explanation anyway.
