Answer First: The Pyramid Rule
Say your main point in the first sentence, then give up to three reasons, then the detail, never the other way round.
The standard in consulting writing for fifty years, but it is a teaching framework, not a tested intervention.
Why it works
Busy listeners decide in the first few seconds whether to keep listening. If the answer comes first, they can stop you once they have enough, and they remember the point even if they forget the reasons.
How to do it
- Before you speak, write the one sentence you want them to remember.
- Say that sentence first.
- Group your support into at most three reasons.
- Give one example or number for the strongest reason.
- Stop and check whether they want more.
What to say
Short answer: yes, we can fill both roles by September. Three reasons: we only do agri, we have people who have done this exact job, and we screen before you see anyone.
The answer is 9% of annual CTC, paid only when the person joins. Would you like to know how we arrive at that?
Avoid
Starting with background and building up to the point. On a call, the buyer often interrupts before you get there.
Example
Asked by a Chennai aquaculture firm whether he could find a hatchery manager, Arjun used to describe his database for three minutes. Now he says: yes, we have placed two in Andhra this year, and here is how. The CEO asked his next question within twenty seconds.
Practise it
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