Ever find yourself halfway through a sentence only to realise you have no idea where it’s going?

The panic sets in as you become painfully aware that you’re rambling so your brain tries to buy time by resorting to saying “umm”, “ahh” and other filler words.

Most people think their inability to communicate concisely is a “speaking” problem which can only be fixed via expanding their vocabulary.

However, the reality is:

If your speech isn’t coherent, fluent, or concise, it’s because your thinking isn’t coherent, fluent, or concise. 🤯

You are essentially trying to build a house while you’re still drawing the blueprints. Of course it’s going to look and sound messy!

We often try to speak before we have actually refined the thought. We serve up the “raw ingredients” of our ideas instead of the finished meal.

The “Immediate Answer” Trap

I used to be a victim of this too. I thought that to be a great communicator, I had to be fast.

I believed that if someone asked me a question, I had to fire back an answer within 0.5 seconds or I’d look like I didn’t know what I was talking about.

But trying to talk before you’ve thought usually leads to:

  • Coming across as less fluent.
  • Losing your train of thought mid-sentence.
  • Using a lot of unnecessary “filler” words.
  • Looking less confident than you actually are.

When we rush to speak, we sacrifice clarity for speed. And in the world of communication, clarity is king. 👑

The Secret To Speaking Concisely: The Strategic Pause

If you want to know how to speak more concisely, you have to learn to embrace the one thing most people are terrified of: The Pause. 🤫

Instead of feeling the pressure to fill the silence immediately, try this instead: 👇

  • Receive the question.
  • Take a moment to breathe.
  • Refine the thought in your head.
  • Collect your thoughts.
  • Share your answer.

By taking that extra second or two to pause, you allow your brain to filter out the noise and find the most direct path to the point.

Why This Works

When you give yourself permission to think before you speak, something incredible happens.

You don’t just sound better; you appear more in control.

Taking a moment to pause tells the other person:

“I am giving your question the thought it deserves.” ✅

It changes the perception of your answer from “impulse” to “insight.”

So the next time you’re in a meeting or a conversation and you feel that urge to start talking immediately; Stop, take a breath and refine the thought.

Once you’ve given it the thought it needs, say it. You’ll find that when your thinking is concise, your speaking follows suit. 👊