1/ Something I've noticed recently: the more succinctly someone answers questions, the more likely we are to invest. Not a guarantee of course, but positively correlated. A few reasons behind this:
2/ If someone's consistently very verbose/long-winded, the prospect of working together closely is less exciting. This is true on both sides of the table, and also for prospective employees, customers, etc.
3/ If I come into a meeting with 20 questions and only have time to get through the first five, I leave feeling like I still have way too many gaps in my understanding. If I get through all 20 and still have time to spare, I feel a lot more comfortable about moving forward.
4/ Often -- although not always -- succinctness is a strong sign of subject mastery.
("I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." -- Blaise Pascal)
("I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." -- Blaise Pascal)
5/ If these arguments for succincness appeal to you, keep them in mind while responding to questions. Hit the relevant points you want to convey, and then pause. If someone wants to learn more they will ask, but most of the time they'll move on to their next question.
