Time Is On My Side - Yes, It Isn't

As a small business owner, I've learned the importance of grabbing your audience's attention as quickly as possible.Attention spans are short these days, especially when it comes to digital content. According to recent market research:

And the most shocking statistic of all: The average person's attention span in 2012 was only 8 seconds.

So as a business professional, what can you do to keep your audience's and employees' attention for longer than eight seconds? One of the most effective ways is to compile information in an easy to understand, entertaining way. A new slideshow platform,PechaKucha, solves this conundrum. According to an article in Inc. magazine, "The rules are  beyond simple. Speakers display 20 slides and spend 20 seconds on each. If you have more than 20 points to make: too bad. Cut some." Ruthless? Maybe. Effective? Definitely. Next time you or one of your team members needs to give a presentation, try utilizing the PechaKucha method, and watch as others listen intently and engage with your ideas.

Looking to start a new business? Have you spent hours working on en executive summary that trails on for pages and pages? Is the marketing plan exponentially growing? Well, stop. Instead of writing a novel about your business, make a "deck."According to Eric Paley in Inc. magazine, "No matter how gifted a writer you are, slide presentations, or decks, are a better way to get your message across." Investors and potential partners will be more likely to follow along with your slideshow presentation than read your ten-page business plan. Writing a business plan is a good way to organize and formalize your ideas but a slideshow presentation will be a more enticing, succinct way to garner support and funds.

The moral of this newsletter is that less is always more. Keeping attention while piquing interest is the challenge we all face in today's digital world.