Editing for success

Ken Burns' masterful documentary on the Civil War includes a quote from Edward Everett in its discussion of the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg. This quote was also included in the official "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar workbook years ago in order to encourage you to edit, edit, edit.

To recap the story, Edward Everett was one of the speakers at the dedication of the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1863. As was the custom at the time, Mr. Everett spoke for about two hours. Then, Abraham Lincoln was introduced to the crowd and he delivered what is known as "The Gettysburg Address". The official photographer of the event took his time readying his equipment as the President began to speak, knowing that he had a couple of hours to get the right natural light and compose his shot. Suddenly the President finished and walked over to sit down. The photographer quickly snapped the only existing photo of the event, a blurry shot of Lincoln, in mid-air, as he's sitting down.

Following the event, Edward Everett wrote to Lincoln and summed up the whole philosophy behind "utilizing Economy of Words", a skill you'll learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Everett wrote, "I wish that I had come as close to the central idea of the occasion in my two hours as you did in two minutes." Seven score and seven years later, one of those two Gettysburg speeches is remembered and treasured.

Writing or speaking a lot, or for a long time, does NOT mean you're a great communicator or an effective communicator. It doesn't even mean that you have a lot of important things to say. It just means that you talk a lot. And, in today's fast-paced world, it also means that no one will listen to you or remember what you said. Edward Everett was an orator. Abraham Lincoln delivered a message that meant something.

"Economy of Words" is just one of the philosophies and approaches to communicating effectively that you will learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.