Starting as a young lawyer and continuing I consult Professors Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, for speaking and writing with power and conviction. Below are maxims from their book.
Place Yourself in the Background. According to professors Strunk and White good writing (and speaking) comes naturally without trying to effect a certain mood or temper. Write and speak so the recipient is drawn to what you are writing or talking about rather than your emotional take on the subject. In this way the recipient is drawn to the substance. If the substance is there the recipient will have an emotional response.
Write and Speak Naturally. Be yourself. Forget about imitating someone else. Admittedly, we are all imitators and have been since babies. The key is draw on our experiences rather than a copy of the source. This allows the message to be our message which is authentic.
Never Overwrite or Overstate. Stick to the facts without gilding or adding. When we overstate the reader or listener knows. The message is processed in a negative way like this person is trying to sell me something.
Write and Speak with Nouns and Verbs. Eliminate adjectives and adverbs. As stated by professors Strunk and White: “The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place.” It is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing and speaking its toughness and color.
Avoid the Use of Qualifiers. This means words such as rather, very, little, pretty, and probably to name a few. As stated by the professors: “These are the leeches that infest the pond of good prose, sucking the blood of words.” The use of the adjective “little” is particularly debilitating. “Little” is a badge of a weak speaker or writer. The same is true with other qualifiers.
Active Voice. Speak and write in the active voice whenever you have a choice. The active voice “I will speak and write with conviction” has power. The passive voice conveys weakness: “I will try to speak or write with conviction.”
Write and Speak at High Level. When speaking use the ing. Rather than “I’m thinken about doen it, ” say I am thinking about doing it.” This elevates you to to a speaker with more education in the listener’s mind. The listener consciously and subconsciously hears your message as articulate. Eliminate slang in writing and speaking. This puts you at a higher level.
Make the Point and Stop. As stated by our professors “do not explain too much.” When saying too much adverbs and adjectives creep into speaking or writing. This makes the message weak rather than strong. Shakespeare says: ” The lady doth protest too much me thinks.”
Avoid Fancy Words. Speak and write like you are talking to a high school student. Avoid words of trade that only fellow trade members know. Avoid foreign language; it sounds like you are trying to impress; it is not impressive to deliver a message the recipient misses.
Remember John Wayne’s Maxim: “Speak slow, speak low, and don’t say too much.”
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