Explain Less to Keep People Engaged and Listening to You

Few things are worse than being in the heart of a conversation and realizing your audience isn't paying any attention to what you're saying. If you have the tendency to over-explain topics when people get disinterested, Forbes recommends you dial it back a bit and explain less.

The problem of over-explaining likely comes up when you're dishing out information on a complicated idea and instead of slowing down to summarize you add another layer of complicated information. Forbes' advice is simple:

When you say something complex, and people aren't getting it, it's not going to help, generally, to say additional complex stuff. Before you start talking, take a minute to think about how to communicate the essence of your message in a simple way.

It's easy to get caught up in your own words when you're talking to someone about a complicated subject, but if you want your audience to listen the old mantra of "less is more" might be a good way to keep them engaged.

3 Simple Ways to Get People to Listen to You | Forbes

Photo by Quinn Dombrowski.