I have always been intrigued by Winston Churchill both as a strong leader during the Second World War and as a not so successful politician. His life is a study in leadership and how special people rise to the challenges put in front of them.

Some time ago I came across a story about his oratory skills and his notes on the manuscript of one of his speeches. As the story goes, there was a section underlined in red and in the margin was written “Weak point. Speak louder.” In trying to actually source this (unsuccessfully), I found this page of great Churchill quotes.

Regardless of what you do, there are always weak points in your story as you package it and communicate it to others. Be prepared to be called on them and find them in advance so that you know where they are and how they will be viewed by your audience. Many times we are in such a hurry to get our points across to get our audience to come to our way of thinking that we overlook this subtle but important perspective. So the next time you pitch an investor, meet with a prospect, or engage in active debate on any topic, know your weak points in advance and be prepared to “speak louder.”