07 Oct QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
In addition to being an avid sports fan, I have a deep interest in history, particularly American history and its wars. One powerful episode from the Civil War offers a lesson that resonates far beyond the battlefield.
The Gettysburg Battle and Dedication of the Cemetery
The deadliest battle of the Civil War took place at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1 to 3, 1863. Around 170,000 troops fought, with approximately 51,000 killed, wounded, captured, or missing. The Union’s decisive win forced Lee’s Confederate army to retreat.
Four months later, in November 1863, a large crowd gathered at Gettysburg for the dedication of the battlefield cemetery. The featured speaker was Edward Everett, widely regarded as one of the greatest orators of his time. His résumé was unmatched: minister, professor, and past president of Harvard College; holder of a doctorate from Göttingen University in Germany; congressman, governor of Massachusetts, minister to Great Britain, U.S. senator, and Secretary of State.1
President Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer and statesman, and others, were also invited to deliver “a few appropriate remarks.”
Everett and Lincoln’s Speeches
Everett spoke for more than two hours without referring to his notes, delivering over 55,000 words. His oration, full of detailed accounts of the battle and comparisons to ancient battles of Greece and Rome, reflected his scholarly expertise.
Then, after a short musical interlude, Lincoln rose and spoke for barely two minutes. His Gettysburg Address—just 271 words—became one of the most powerful and enduring speeches in American history. Everett’s marathon address, by contrast, is almost entirely forgotten.
Everett later wrote to Lincoln: “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.” 2
The Lesson of the Speeches at Gettysburg
The lesson is clear: brevity combined with substance has far greater impact than length without focus.
This principle applies directly to sales presentations. To be remembered and persuasive, a message must be concise, relevant, and tailored to the audience. As the late Jim McCormack, a mentor, often reminded me, “Be economical with your words.” A sales presentation should emphasize the buyer’s priorities, not just your company’s marketing talking points.
Relevance matters as much as brevity. Demonstrating knowledge of the buyer’s industry or vertical market, using examples drawn from their world, and customizing content to their needs makes your message credible, memorable, and compelling. The goal is not only to inform but to move the prospect toward action.
The Sales Presentation Word Meter
Equally important, sales pros must remember that the most effective meetings are two-way conversations. In Above Quota Performance, I introduced the “Sales Presentation Word Meter,”3 a simple way to gauge this balance. If prospects do more than half of the talking, the meeting is likely to be productive. If they contribute less than twenty percent, the outcome is usually poor. And if they speak under ten percent, the result is almost always a disaster—an indication that you delivered a monologue while they tuned out.
The Gettysburg speeches lesson still holds: speak less, say more, and create space for others to engage. Don’t bore the audience. Say something impactful. Make the audience think.
1 Gabor Boritt, Gettysburg Gospel, Simon and Schuster (New York, NY), p. 98.
2 https://www.history.com/articles/gettysburg-address
3 Steven Weinberg, Above Quota Performance, Armin Lear Press, (Estes Park, CO) pp. 240-242.