Less is more

Less Is More

Here’s a unique story based on the thought that “Less Is More”. So often we feel like we have to explain, convince, argue, etc… when fewer words may be just what someone needs to hear. Someone once said that it is no coincidence that God gave us 2 ears, and only 1 mouth… 🙂

An insurance agent learned that he would receive his company’s award for having sold more life insurance than anyone else in the state. The big problem: He had to make a speech at the time he got the award. He was supposed to tell the other insurance agents how he did it. Joe had a phobia about public speaking, but he was still expected to give the speech.

So he went to work on this speech. He wrote it and rewrote it. Finally, he got it just right. He typed it up on cards and taped the cards on his shaving mirror. Every morning while he was shaving, he memorized that speech. Finally, Joe had it imprinted into the grooves of his brain cells like a laser disk. He was ready.

The great evening came. The huge auditorium was filled with insurance salespeople from all over the state. Then they called him forward to receive the award. Pressing a plaque into Joe’s hand, the president of the company patted him on the back and said, “Now, tell us, how did you do it?”

Joe turned to his great sea of eyes, waiting expectantly for him to say something profound. But he could not think of the first line. Groping for it, he said, “Ah, uh, ah…” He couldn’t remember the first line but he finally thought of a line from down in the middle. (If you are in that kind of situation, you are willing to start anyplace.) So he said, “Ah, uh – See the people….”

But Joe was so frightened that he couldn’t remember what came after that. So he started again, “Ah, ah – See the people, ah, uh. See the people!” And he sat down.

Most of the people in the auditorium thought Joe said exactly what he intended to say. They heard it as a dramatic speech and gave him a standing ovation.