Say Less. Mean More

Published 4 months ago • 1 min read

I went to a talk last week.
The title was fine.
Slide two. Nine bullet points.

That’s not a presentation—it’s a confession.

💡 ONE IDEA WELL

Too often, we treat presentations like a dumping ground for everything we’ve ever learned.

We forget that our job isn’t to say everything—it’s to help the audience remember something.

Nine bullet points don’t show how clever you are.
They show you don’t trust yourself—or your audience.
You’re trying to cover everything just in case.

But here’s the truth: nobody remembers bullet six.
Most people don’t even remember there was a sixth bullet.

The best talks aren’t information-rich—they’re message-clear.

So here’s a better way to think about your next talk:

What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember three days from now?
Say that. Show that. Structure everything else around that.

You’ll say less—but you’ll mean more.

🧰 LESS MESS, MORE MESSAGE

Here’s a quick fix you can try:
Look at any slide with more than 3 bullet points.

Then ask: “What’s the single idea I want this slide to say?”

Now reframe the slide around that.

🔄 Before:

Title: “Management”
Bullet list: fluids, antibiotics, consults, escalation plans...

✅ After:

Title: “Escalation plans save lives.”
Big, clear visual
You say the rest aloud

📸 Here’s what that shift might look like in practice:

🧭 ASK YOURSELF THIS

What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember three days from now?

Say that.

Everything else supports it—or distracts from it.

Speak soon,

Andy

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