Jean Card, founder of Jean Card, Ink, is a Boston-based communication coach and speechwriter who joined the Women in Print Alliance community for a workshop on effective communication for leaders — covering everything from public speaking fundamentals to the way we show up in everyday professional conversations. Her core message: how you communicate is just as important as what you communicate.

In a recent LinkedIn video, she turns her attention to a skill that applies well beyond the podium: knowing when to stop talking.

As Jean says, “Brevity in communication is so important, and it’s easy to edit our words when we’re writing them because we have AI and can tell AI ‘make this shorter.’ But how can we edit ourselves when we’re speaking?”

She answers this question by sharing three practical tips — including a handy acronym called WAIT that’s worth knowing.

Watch the full video to get the complete picture. Then, be sure to follow Jean on LinkedIn for more tips and tricks to enhance your professional communications skills.