Benjamin Todd

I have suggestions for what I could work on.

Writing these out ahead of time makes it more likely you'll mention what's most important.

And 3 points is about the limit of what your audience will remember.

That's why this is standard advice when pitching a business idea.

If you're not sure what you have to offer, look back at the exercise at the end of Chapter 7.

3.

Focus on what's most impressive.

What sounds better?

I advised Obama on energy policy.

Or, I advised Obama on energy policy and have worked as a high school teacher the last three years.

Many people fill up their CVs with everything they've done, but it's usually better to pick your one or two most impressive achievements and focus on those.

It sounds better, it makes it more likely you'll cover it, and it makes it more likely the audience will remember it.

4.

Prepare one to two concrete facts and stories to back up your three key messages.

For instance, if you're applying to be a web engineer, rather than, I'm a hard worker, try, I have a friend who runs an organization that was about to get some press coverage.

He needed to build a website in 24 hours, so he pulled an all-nighter to build it.

The next day we got a thousand signups.

Rather than say, I really want to work in this industry, tell the story of what led you to apply.

Stories and concrete details are far more memorable than abstract claims.

Five, work out how to sum up what you have to offer in a sentence.