Say it, don’t spray it

In the 8th grade I had the highly unfortunate position of sitting far left, front row of Spitting Estock’s algebra class right next to where Mrs. Estock stood to teach.

We called her “Spitting Estock” because, well, she had a habit of spraying copious amounts of saliva as she talked. And she talked. A lot.

While I wouldn’t have dared say anything, I dreaded sitting there, waiting to get spewed upon. For one full school year, every Monday through Friday, I cringed inwardly and thought, “Say it, don’t spray it!”

That childhood mantra is also one I happen to teach in my Basic Training eCourse—only I use it to mean “make your point quickly and clearly.”

Here are some tips on how to get-to-the-point:

• Focus on a single topic and stick to it. The narrower the topic, the better. For example, “sales techniques” is too broad while “top three ways to close a sale” is not.
• Be bold. Start with an interesting word, question or headline to compel readers to dive into what you have to say. Let newspaper headlines and blogs be your inspiration.
• Cut the chatter. Detail and story, yes. Too much detail and gobs of backstory, no. Think of it like a well-told joke: enough to make it interesting but not so much that you don’t care if you even hear the punchline.
• End well. Satisfy the reader by finishing with something that ties back to the beginning or by concluding with something they didn’t expect.

By JanO on 7/1/11, In writing, Tags clarity, eCourse, get to the point, headlines, inspiration, technique, tips for writing well, writing, writing tips