And I don't mean the rucksack-carrying variety!
Do you ever attend a meeting knowing you have something important to say, but when your big moment comes find yourself rambling on and on and on?
Don't be too embarrassed - the problem is more common than you think. Just tune into the BBC Democracy Live channel one day and listen how our elected MPs ramble on and on, their point often becoming lost in a sea of words.
MPs often have a good reason for rambling - they want to keep the opposition from having their say! But those of us who have an important message to convey must learn to keep our rambling to a minimum or our audience will simply switch off!
Here are five very simple steps to help you avoid rambling and become an ace public speaker:
1. Before attending any meeting or event where you know you might be required to speak 'off-the-cuff', set aside some time, on your own, to think about the message you intend to get across.
2. When you are sure what your message is, jot it down in a notebook.
3. Now look at your message and ask yourself, 'how can I say this with the greatest possible impact?'
4. Next, re-write your message, using high-impact, memorable language, taking care to put your message across as succintly (in as few words) as possible.
5. Now, rehearse, either out loud or in your mind. When you’re happy that your message sounds great, rehearse it a few more times and jot down the final wording that you’ve chosen in your notebook.
When you arrive at the event, take another look at your notebook to remind yourself of how you’re going to express your message. When the opportunity comes, say what you’ve planned to say in the way you’ve planned to say it and no more. Resist the temptation to ‘hold the floor’ and sit back down when you’ve said what you’ve intended to say. You have just been eloquent and to-the-point – it makes no sense to dilute your message by out-staying your welcome!
More advice on how to avoid rambling.
