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S P E E D K I L L S — T H E C O M P E T I T I O N

minutes to explain his idea. I was extremely busy and not eager to
listen to a presentation. So I expected him to decline. Not only did
Ricardo accept my terms, he made such a great presentation in the
allotted time that I was fascinated with the deal. Now we’re part-
ners. It’s amazing what people can do when they have deadlines.
Give yourself deadlines. Practice delivering your presentation
in less than five minutes, and then chop it to three minutes. Any-
thing longer can seem like a lecture. Edit yourself by cutting
everything that isn’t absolutely necessary. The people you speak
to will be grateful that you distilled your pitch to its essence. If
they have questions, they’ll ask, which is what you want.
Extraneous information in long-winded presentations is like
junk mail. Everyone hates junk mail, especially busy people. No
one wants to sort through irrelevant stuff. Instead of delivering
verbal junk, limit your pitch to only necessary information.

If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card,
you don’t have a clear idea.

—David Belasco

Trump Jet.
Photo courtesy of the Trump Organization.

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