How many times have you sat in a meeting and someone talks for so long that you can’t seem to understand what they’re trying to say?
How many times have you been that person? You talk and talk and talk, but the people around you don’t seem to understand what your point is.
This is called rambling.
If you look up the word “rambling”, this is what it means:
(of writing or speech) lengthy and confused or inconsequential.
So when you’re rambling, you’re talking for too long and you’re confusing the person. You need to get straight to your point.
Today, I’m sharing a quick tip to overcome rambling that I’ve used myself.
People tend to ramble when they’re disconnected from their audience or the person they’re speaking to.
So the next time you’re speaking, and you find yourself speaking without getting to the point, I want you to look at the person you’re speaking to. If it’s more than one person, you may look at just one person. Try to maintain eye contact.
Does the person look confused? Do they look bored?
If they do, ask them, “Do you understand what I’m talking about?”
If they say “no”, then it’s your responsibility to make them understand.
Here’s what you can do:
- Ask them what they don’t understand.
- Speak in a way that’s simple and straight to the point.
- Do not give confusing examples.
- Say what it is that you want them to understand or do.
Because when we’re rambling, we’re actually speaking to ourselves. We’re trying so hard to make sense for ourselves that we forget that we actually need to make others understand us.
So remember this tip.
The next time you’re rambling, look the person in the eye and ask, “Do you understand what I’m talking about?”
I hope this tip is helpful. We’ll talk to you again soon!
