Some open mic comedians (i.e. ones who never get booked for a paid show), come onstage and launch into a long-winded, rambling story with lots of conjecture & context.
EVENTUALLY, they close the story out on a punchline. The audience’s face lights up, but not because they’re laughing – because they’re on their phones (note: comedians see that blue light of disinterest illuminating your face from stage. When we do, we die a bit inside with each particle).
People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. Audience members – and buyers – want you to get to the point. Faster than you can imagine.
SDRs: Good jokes AND good cold call or cold email messaging is really short. They’re to-the-point, punchy, and illicit emotional reactions.
Edit your opener. Put it on paper/screen and eliminate every syllable and word that’s unnecessary. Paraphrase wherever possible.
AEs: Ask crisp questions, capture essence succinctly. Also, rambling answers to questions are a sign of several other negatives which I’ll shine a (non-blue) light on in coming posts.
If your leadership is planning a Sales Kickoff, l’d love to roast the problems you solve for your buyer or get you doing it on your own! You or whoever handles it should slot off some time to speak.
