The Benefits of Brevity

Many years ago, I took a persuasive writing course that made a lasting impact on my communication style. Beyond the values of making reasoned arguments based on history, facts, etc., the professor imparted a pearl of wisdom I use every day: “Get to the point quickly, because the average person’s attention span is 5 to 10 minutes, tops.”

Many years ago, I took a persuasive writing course that made a lasting impact on my communication style. Beyond the values of making reasoned arguments based on history, facts, etc., the professor imparted a pearl of wisdom I use every day: “Get to the point quickly, because the average person’s attention span is 5 to 10 minutes, tops.”

Another key to being persuasive is knowing your audience. This is particularly true when seeking to convince corporate leadership to undertake a business intelligence (BI) or data warehousing project. To better understand and incorporate the priorities of your own CIO, CEO or CFO before making a pitch just read “Persuading the CXO” on Teradata Magazine online.

How was that, professor?

Mike Westholder
Managing Editor
Teradata Magazine