For most people, next to the fear of dying, public speaking is their greatest fear. And what’s more difficult than giving a long speech?

Giving a short one!

“It’s such a little thing,” you tell yourself. “It should be easy.”

Problem is, with a briefer presentation – whether spoken or written – you have less time/space to make your point. (I’m reminded of the quip attributed to Mark Twain, among others: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”)

 So next time you have to write a short-but-important letter… or make a persuasive business pitch… or deliver a brief wedding speech or eulogy, consider the following advice:

 From the guy who has coached thousands of TED Talk presenters:

1. Restrict your talk to one idea.
2. Begin with a statement – a single sentence or two – that arouses curiosity. (This is important. Listen to some TED Talks and you will see that this is commonly done and done effectively.)
3. Build your idea one clearly defined step after another. (This is very, very important. I don’t do it very well, but I am working on it.)