How little we take in and how little we really have to say

I was at a networking meeting recently and as a festive treat the members had to impersonate other members.

This was meant as a fun exercise but one thing struck me how little information and understanding we all really pick up. You can know somebody and their organisation for weeks, months and even years and not really have an in-depth understanding. The person I had to take off I must admit that I knew not as much as I really should have about his enterprise despite a 10 minute presentation on what he did, which I did listen to.

This strikes me that of course we miss opportunities because having to take in so much information we often pigeon hole people or fill in the gaps in our knowledge with what think they do or offer.

It also occurred to me, as it has done before, that in an article or even press release how much is taken in by the reader. Probably not that much. It seems that there are two or three essential messages and the rest is often filler.

For example, if I represent a lawyer that is a specialist in employment law the ideal result is if the perception of the reader is that this practice handles the cases that are of concern to them or colleagues and associates and that they are likable, trustworthy and are the best in their field or pretty much up there and jockeying for that title. The fine details and everything else can be sold later.