Have you ever noticed the most curious trend with some of the smartest people? You ask if something is possible hopeful for an affirmative response. Five minutes later…they’re still talking! You don’t know which way is up or out of the hole you’ve been verbally burrowed down.

The explanation has turned into a novella and instead of a happy ending you’re totally confused. So basically…you can do it? It’s a yes?

Yes.

What happened? Why did we lose so much time wading through unnecessary detail?

It’s likely some overeagerness. The need to explain and provide detail. Share relevant context. Yet, walking through painstaking levels of detail when all we need to do is “get to yes” can be such a waste of time. Your audience probably doesn’t care how the problem can be solved in a slightly elegantly nuanced way. Meet them where they are! Think of all the time we can save our busy customers, clients, and counterparts by communicating more clearly.

We’ll assume the situation has been discussed. A question has then been asked. Then, before giving any more details…just answer the question!

“Yes, we should be able to do that. I have a couple ideas that I think could help solve your problem”

Only at that point are the intricate details needed! In these situations, put the cart BEFORE the horse.

To further prove the point, we are going to keep this post short and to the point. So next time, when you want to show all your knowledge or the complexity of your operation…maybe take a breath. It’s all good! Just say yes.