Share vs Tell

As a speech coach, people often ask me for tips on how to phrase information in the most compelling way. A lot of people have been taught that the best way to talk about their work is to “tell” their audience something. For example, they tell their audience to imagine a scenario, open with a startling statistic, or tell their audience to do something. While these tactics are common, they aren’t necessarily effective. That’s because audiences don’t like being told what to do. When we are told things, we tend to stop and analyze the situation. However, when we share, people listen. Sharing is more effective than telling. 

That’s why I recommend rephrasing tells as shares. For example:

Tell: “Imagine this…”
Share: “I like to imagine…”

Tell: “Think of it this way…”
Share: “I often think about…”

Tell: “Twice as many women than men get Alzheimer’s disease…”
Share: “I remember learning that twice as many women get Alzheimer’s disease…”

“Sharing” invites equal connection while “telling” puts the speaker and the audience at different points in a hierarchy. So instead of telling your audience information, I recommend sharing it instead.


Author: Bri McWhorter, MFA
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