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Making Your Words Count 157

left before they have to run off to another meeting. Ugh! How do you
make sure you have made enough impact to get to the outcome you
want in such a short period of time?
Your instinct might be to jump in and start talking, hoping that
your thoughts will keep up and you’ll make sense. Resist it. Too many
people jump into a conversation without thoughtful preparation or
consideration of the key elements for success. Take 30 of your pres-
sure seconds—or even 45—to organize your thoughts by asking
yourself the following questions:

1. What result do I want to achieve?

2. What key points do I need to make?

3. How should I say it to get the result I want?

Addressing these questions, whether in the moment or before you
begin any critical conversation, will help you communicate more
powerfully and effectively in all situations. Once again, thinking
about your intention and planning your message delivery will help
you to bring the things you need most to the conversation and pre-
sent them in the most effective way.

Guideline 4: Keep It Simple and Stay on Message

At WILL, we spend a lot of time focusing on communication. We
have heard for years that women are masterful communicators, col-
laborators, and connectors, but they often fail to capitalize on this
natural strength, limiting their effectiveness and diminishing their
power and voice. Over time, I have actually observed that this is true.
Why is this?
In The Female Brain, Dr. Louann Brizendine presents statistics
that provide some answers. On average, women have 11 percent more