Talking in Sound Bites

When we coach people, we always tell them that they need to learn how to talk in sound bites.
So, what's a sound bite? It's a short concise sentence that gets to the point in a memorable way. If it's quotable, that's a plus.

"Do one ever got fat from eating too many vegetables."

"Sure, you can save lots of money by doing your own plumbing, but you can also flush your hard earned money right down that toilet."

"I married a man who loved cheating more than he loved me."

Those are sound bites. Sometimes sound bites are funny. Sometimes sound bites are touching. Sometimes they are statements of fact that just grab your attention so we want to listen to whatever else you have to say. Speaking in sound bites is not easy. Most people tend to ramble on and don't know how to pause for effect, or stop for a breath. That's a problem. No one wants to interview someone who can't put a period on a sentence.

So, how can you become sound bite friendly? Try this. Tape yourself and play it back. Did you fall asleep? Go to step two. Write down what you want to say. Say those sentences out loud. Ask yourself, would you care what this person has to say based on what you're saying? If the answer is no, you need to edit yourself. Take those words and boil them down to an interesting sentence. Cut them back so you're getting your point across quicker. Make them shorter. Make them memorable. Make me what to know more.

It's not always easy to be your own sound bite sounding board, which is why we get lots of people coming to us for help on their sound bites. But whether you try to do this yourself or seek outside help, finding your voice through sound bites is step one to being a media sensation.