A couple of months ago, I sat in a meeting where a colleague was sharing results from a new analysis.

I knew the insights he had uncovered were super interesting, but I was bored to tears.

He just rambled… and rambled… and rambled…

The problem? He had a low “rate of revelation” - the ultimate buzzkill for any presentation.

What’s “rate of revelation”?

The “rate of revelation” is a term from writing, and it refers to how quickly new, meaningful information is delivered.

A low rate of revelation is like the scenic route (or when Tolkien spends 10 pages describing the Shire). It’s slow. It’s drawn out. There are… so… many… words.

A high rate of revelation is like a high-speed train. It gets to the point. It’s punchy. You move right along.

For example, let’s say you’re reporting on employee attrition:

Version A: 
“While conducting our quarterly review of key business metrics, we noticed that attrition has increased this year by X%. Specifically, last year it was Y% and now it is Z%. We looked into several factors including satisfaction with compensation and benefits, career growth opportunities, team dynamics…”

Snooze. *Checks phone*

Version B:
“Attrition increased +X% year over year - mainly due to dissatisfaction with comp and benefits. This turnover is costing us $XM annually.”

What! Ah!

No one’s snoozing during that presentation.

Give it a try

Before your next presentation, email, or report, try:

• The 10-second test: Say your first few sentences out loud. Are you already getting to the point, or are you still “setting the stage”?

• The 5-minute challenge: Could you hit all your key takeaways in 5 minutes if the meeting was cut short?

• The “could-I-cut-it?” game: For each slide, bullet, or chart, ask yourself: if I removed this, would the core message still be clear?

Then, try some of these tips:

• Cut unnecessary words.

• Lead with your key findings.

• Use concise language, avoid jargon.

• Utilize bullet points and numbered lists.

• Question the purpose of every sentence.

• Do a run-through with a coworker and say: “Stop me when your mind starts to wander.”

Bonus tip: Let AI help you tighten it up. Upload your talking points, email draft, or slides and ask for suggestions to make them more concise, clear, and direct. It’s a great way to spot where you’re being too wordy or wandering off-point.

So go ahead — try bumping up your rate of revelation this week. Your audience (and their attention spans) will thank you.

See you next week,
Morgan

P.S. I first learned about rate of revelation from a podcast episode with Nicolas Cole, one of the most-read writers on the Internet. Check out this tweet for more of his top writing tips (including “The Tequila Test”).