Conciseness & Brevity

Consider These Facts

• The average professional receives 120+ emails per day. Wordy messages get skimmed or ignored.
• Attention spans in meetings average 10-18 minutes. If you haven't made your point by then, you've lost your audience.
• Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was 272 words. The other speaker that day spoke for two hours. Nobody remembers what he said.
• The most retweeted, most shared, and most remembered messages in history are almost always short.

The Brevity Mindset

Conciseness is not about leaving things out. It is about including only what matters. A concise message is complete -- it contains every necessary idea. It is simply free of waste. Think of it like sculpting: the statue was always inside the marble. The sculptor's job is to remove everything that isn't the statue.

The Five Costs of Wordy Communication

1. Lost attention. Readers stop reading. Listeners stop listening. Your key point gets buried.
2. Lost credibility. Rambling signals that you haven't thought through your ideas. Concise communicators are perceived as more competent and confident.
3. Lost time. If a 500-word email could have been 100 words, you wasted your reader's time -- multiplied by every person who received it.
4. Lost action. When your request is buried in paragraph four, people miss it. Concise messages drive action; wordy ones get filed away.
5. Lost opportunity. In pitches, interviews, and meetings, you often get one chance to make your point. Waste it with filler and the moment passes.

Bloated (68 words)

"I am writing to you today in order to inform you that, after careful and thorough consideration of all the various factors involved, we have come to the decision that it would be in the best interest of the company to move forward with the implementation of the new software system that was discussed at our previous meeting last Tuesday."

Concise (14 words)

"We've decided to implement the new software system discussed last Tuesday."

Bloated (42 words)

"At this point in time, I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for the contributions that you have made to this particular project."

Concise (10 words)

"Thank you all for your contributions to this project."

Bloated (35 words)

"Due to the fact that the weather conditions are expected to be of an adverse nature, we are going to have to make the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow's outdoor event."

Concise (11 words)

"Tomorrow's outdoor event is canceled due to expected bad weather."

The Wordiness Test

Ask yourself after writing anything: "Can I cut 30% of the words without losing any meaning?" If the answer is yes -- and it almost always is -- you were too wordy. Professional editors routinely cut 30-50% of a first draft. That is not because the writer was bad. It is because conciseness is a second-pass skill.

Rule 1: Cut Throat-Clearing Phrases

Throat-clearing phrases are words that warm up to the point without actually making it. They add zero information.

Common offenders: "I would like to take this opportunity to..." / "It is important to note that..." / "As a matter of fact..." / "In order to..." / "The reason why is that..."

Before: "I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that your application has been approved." (16 words)

After: "Your application has been approved." (5 words)

Rule 2: Replace Phrases with Single Words

Many multi-word phrases can be replaced with a single, stronger word.

• "at this point in time" → now
• "in the event that" → if
• "due to the fact that" → because
• "in the near future" → soon
• "a large number of" → many
• "on a daily basis" → daily
• "has the ability to" → can
• "in spite of the fact that" → although
• "for the purpose of" → to
• "in the amount of" → for

Before: "In the event that you are unable to attend, please notify us in advance of the meeting." (16 words)

After: "If you cannot attend, please notify us before the meeting." (10 words)

Rule 3: Use Active Voice

Passive voice adds words and obscures who is doing what. Active voice is almost always shorter and clearer.

Before: "The report was reviewed by the committee and a decision was made to approve the budget." (16 words)

After: "The committee reviewed the report and approved the budget." (9 words)

Rule 4: Delete Filler Words

Words like "really," "very," "just," "actually," "basically," "quite," "rather," and "somewhat" rarely add meaning. Remove them and the sentence usually gets stronger.

Before: "It is really very important that we actually try to basically get this done quite soon." (16 words)

After: "We must get this done soon." (6 words)

Rule 5: Eliminate "There is/There are" Constructions

Starting sentences with "There is" or "There are" pushes the real subject later in the sentence and adds dead weight.

Before: "There are several issues that need to be addressed before the launch." (12 words)

After: "Several issues need addressing before the launch." (7 words)

Rule 6: Avoid Nominalizations

A nominalization takes a perfectly good verb and turns it into a noun, then requires adding a weaker verb. Undo this: use the original strong verb.

• "make a recommendation" → recommend
• "conduct an investigation" → investigate
• "provide an explanation" → explain
• "reach a conclusion" → conclude
• "give consideration to" → consider

Before: "We need to make a determination about the allocation of resources." (11 words)

After: "We need to determine how to allocate resources." (8 words)

Rule 7: Cut Redundant Pairs

English is full of pairs where both words mean the same thing. Pick one.

• "each and every" → every (or each)
• "first and foremost" → first
• "full and complete" → complete
• "any and all" → all
• "null and void" → void
• "hope and desire" → hope
• "various and sundry" → various

Before: "Each and every employee must submit a full and complete report." (11 words)

After: "Every employee must submit a complete report." (7 words)

Rule 8: Use Strong Verbs Instead of Adverb + Weak Verb

A strong verb eliminates the need for a modifying adverb and creates a more vivid image.

• "walked slowly" → strolled
• "said loudly" → shouted
• "ran quickly" → sprinted
• "looked carefully" → examined
• "strongly disagreed" → objected

Before: "She looked very carefully at the data and strongly disagreed with the conclusion." (13 words)

After: "She examined the data and objected to the conclusion." (9 words)

Rule 9: One Idea Per Sentence

Long, compound sentences that chain together multiple ideas with "and," "but," "however," and semicolons force readers to hold too much in working memory. Break them up.

Before: "The project is behind schedule and the budget has been exceeded, but the team believes they can still deliver a quality product if they receive additional resources and the deadline is extended by two weeks." (35 words)

After: "The project is behind schedule and over budget. The team can still deliver quality if given additional resources and a two-week extension." (22 words)

Rule 10: Read It Aloud, Then Cut

After writing, read your text aloud. Your ear catches wordiness that your eye misses. Wherever you run out of breath or feel yourself droning, you need to cut. If a sentence bores you to read aloud, imagine what it does to a reader who didn't write it.

Before: "Basically what I'm trying to say here is that if we don't take action at this particular point in time, we are going to find ourselves in a situation where we will not be able to recover." (38 words)

After: "If we don't act now, we won't recover." (8 words)

25 Common Redundancies to Eliminate

1. "advance planning" → planning (all planning is in advance)
2. "end result" → result (results come at the end)
3. "free gift" → gift (gifts are always free)
4. "past history" → history (history is always past)
5. "future plans" → plans (plans are always future)
6. "completely finished" → finished
7. "close proximity" → proximity (or: nearby)
8. "basic fundamentals" → fundamentals
9. "unexpected surprise" → surprise
10. "added bonus" → bonus
11. "brief summary" → summary
12. "combine together" → combine
13. "consensus of opinion" → consensus
14. "cooperate together" → cooperate
15. "each individual" → each
16. "exactly identical" → identical
17. "final outcome" → outcome
18. "first priority" → priority
19. "joint collaboration" → collaboration
20. "new innovation" → innovation
21. "past experience" → experience
22. "repeat again" → repeat
23. "revert back" → revert
24. "sum total" → total
25. "true fact" → fact

Wordy (Redundant) Versions

• "The project is completely and totally finished." → "The project is finished."
• "They need to collaborate together as a team." → "They need to collaborate."
• "She made her first-ever debut on stage." → "She debuted on stage."
• "We received a free complimentary upgrade." → "We received a complimentary upgrade."
• "The final end conclusion was unanimous." → "The conclusion was unanimous."
• "Please revert back to me with your feedback." → "Please reply with your feedback."
• "The CEO gave his own personal opinion." → "The CEO gave his opinion."
• "We need to pre-plan in advance for the event." → "We need to plan for the event."

How to Spot Redundancy

Ask yourself after every modifier: "Does this word add information that is not already present in the word next to it?" If the answer is no, delete it. Common patterns to watch for:

• Adjective + Noun where the adjective restates what the noun already means
• Verb + Adverb where the adverb restates what the verb already means
• Two synonyms joined by "and" (pick the stronger one)
• Phrases with "of" that can be a single word (e.g., "in the vicinity of" → "near")

How Journalists Write

Journalists are trained to structure stories as an inverted pyramid: the most important information comes first, with details arranged in descending order of importance. If the editor cuts the story from the bottom, nothing essential is lost.

Structure:

1. Lead: The most newsworthy fact (who, what, when, where, why)
2. Body: Supporting details and context
3. Tail: Background and less critical information

Apply this to your communication. Start with your conclusion or request. Then add supporting evidence. Then add background -- if you even need to. Many readers will stop after your first sentence, and that's fine, because they already got the point.

The Military Communication Standard

BLUF is a communication technique used by the U.S. military. The principle is simple: state the most important information first. The very first sentence of your message should contain the conclusion, recommendation, or action required.

Without BLUF:

"As you know, we've been evaluating vendors for the past quarter. We reviewed 12 proposals, conducted 6 interviews, checked references, and did cost comparisons. After this extensive process, taking into account technical capability, pricing, and cultural fit, we recommend going with Vendor B."

With BLUF:

"Recommendation: Go with Vendor B. After evaluating 12 proposals on technical capability, pricing, and cultural fit, Vendor B is the strongest choice. Details below."

Every Paragraph Earns Its Place

Every paragraph you write should begin with a topic sentence that states the paragraph's main point. The remaining sentences should support that point and only that point. If a paragraph does not have a clear topic sentence, it probably shouldn't exist -- or it needs to be merged with another paragraph.

Test: Read only the first sentence of each paragraph in your document. If those sentences alone tell a complete, logical story, your structure is solid. If they don't make sense on their own, you need to restructure.

Four-Part Structure

1. Hook: Open with a problem, question, or surprising fact that grabs attention.
2. Solution: State what you do, offer, or propose -- in one sentence.
3. Proof: Give one concrete result, example, or credential that builds credibility.
4. Ask: End with a clear next step or call to action.

Example 1: Job Seeker

"Companies waste an average of $12,000 per bad hire. I'm a talent acquisition specialist who builds data-driven hiring processes that cut mis-hires by 60%. At my last company, I reduced turnover from 35% to 12% in eighteen months. I'd love to discuss how I could help your team hire better."

Example 2: Startup Founder

"Small restaurants lose 30% of their revenue to food waste. Our app uses AI to predict daily demand so restaurants order exactly what they need. We've saved our pilot customers an average of $2,400 per month. We're raising our seed round and looking for investors who care about sustainable food systems."

Example 3: Project Proposal

"Our customer support response time is 48 hours. Industry standard is 4. I'm proposing we implement a chatbot for common questions, which would handle 60% of inquiries instantly. The cost is $15K with a projected $90K annual savings. Can I present the full plan at Thursday's meeting?"

Example 4: Nonprofit

"One in five children in our city goes to bed hungry. Our organization runs weekend meal programs at 40 schools, feeding 3,000 kids every week. A $50 donation feeds a child for an entire month. Can I tell you more about how you can help?"

Example 5: Freelancer

"Most small businesses lose customers because their website loads in 8 seconds instead of 2. I'm a web performance specialist. Last month, I cut a client's load time by 75%, and their conversions jumped 40%. If you're interested, I offer a free 15-minute site audit."

Common Elevator Pitch Mistakes

• Too much jargon. Speak plainly. If your listener doesn't understand your industry terms, you've lost them.
• No hook. Starting with "Hi, I'm John and I work in..." is forgettable. Start with a problem or stat.
• No ask. If you don't tell people what you want next, they won't know what to do.
• Too long. If it takes more than 60 seconds, it's not an elevator pitch. It's a monologue.
• Memorized and robotic. Know the key beats, but deliver them conversationally.

Structure: [Subject] + [Action] + [Object/Result] + [Why It Matters]

Not every summary needs all four parts, but reaching for them helps you write a complete, meaningful sentence rather than a vague fragment.

1. Climate change: Human activity is warming the planet at an unprecedented rate, threatening ecosystems, food systems, and coastal populations worldwide.
2. The theory of evolution: Species change over time through natural selection, where traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common in a population.
3. Blockchain: A decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across many computers so that no single record can be altered after the fact.
4. The French Revolution: The French people overthrew their monarchy in 1789, establishing a republic based on the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
5. Machine learning: Computers improve at tasks by learning patterns from data rather than following explicit instructions written by programmers.
6. Compound interest: Money grows exponentially over time because you earn returns on both your original investment and on previously earned returns.
7. The gig economy: A labor market where temporary, flexible jobs are common and companies hire independent workers for short-term tasks instead of full-time employees.
8. Cognitive behavioral therapy: A treatment approach that helps people identify and change negative thought patterns that drive destructive behaviors and emotions.
9. Supply and demand: Prices rise when demand exceeds supply and fall when supply exceeds demand, naturally balancing markets over time.
10. The Gettysburg Address: Lincoln redefined the Civil War as a fight not just for the Union but for the principle that all people are created equal.

When to Use One-Sentence Summaries

• Email subject lines: Your subject line should be a one-sentence summary of the email's purpose.
• Meeting agendas: Each agenda item should have a one-sentence description of what needs to be discussed or decided.
• Executive summaries: Start reports with a single sentence that captures the entire document's conclusion.
• Slide titles: Every presentation slide title should be a complete sentence stating the slide's key takeaway.
• Twitter/social media: Platforms with character limits force you into one-sentence summary mode by design.

Before (97 words)

Subject: Quick Question

"Hi Sarah, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you because I was wondering if you might have some time available in your schedule sometime this week or possibly next week to sit down and have a meeting where we could discuss the quarterly budget numbers. I have some concerns about a few line items that I think we should talk about before the board meeting. Please let me know what times work best for you. Thanks so much!"

After (33 words)

Subject: Meeting needed: Q3 budget concerns before board meeting

"Sarah -- I have concerns about several Q3 budget line items we should resolve before the board meeting on the 15th. Can you meet this week? I'm free Tuesday or Thursday afternoon."

Before (112 words)

Subject: Update

"Hi everyone, I just wanted to give you all a quick update on where we stand with the website redesign project. As you may recall, we kicked this project off about six weeks ago. Since then, the design team has been working really hard to come up with some new mockups. I'm happy to report that we have completed the homepage and about page designs. However, we are still working on the product pages and the checkout flow. We expect to have everything done by the end of next week. I'll send another update at that time. Please let me know if you have any questions."

After (40 words)

Subject: Website redesign: homepage and about page done; product pages by next Friday

"Team -- Website redesign status:
Done: Homepage and About page designs
In progress: Product pages and checkout flow
Expected completion: Next Friday

Questions? Reply or grab me at standup."

Before (89 words)

Subject: Something for your review

"Hi James, I hope you're having a good week. I wanted to run something by you. As we discussed in our last team meeting, we've been looking into purchasing new project management software. After doing quite a bit of research and getting demos from several vendors, I believe that Asana would be the best fit for our team's needs. The annual cost would be $4,800. Would it be possible to get your approval on this purchase? Happy to discuss further if needed."

After (32 words)

Subject: Approval needed: $4,800/year for Asana (project management tool)

"James -- After evaluating multiple vendors, I recommend Asana for our project management needs. Cost: $4,800/year. Can you approve this? Happy to share the vendor comparison if helpful."

Before (76 words)

"Hi David, thank you so much for thinking of me and for extending the invitation to speak at your conference next month. It sounds like it's going to be a really wonderful event and I'm sure the attendees would benefit greatly from the sessions you have planned. Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment that I already have scheduled for that particular date, I'm afraid I won't be able to attend. I really wish I could. Maybe next year!"

After (24 words)

"David -- Thank you for the speaking invitation. Unfortunately, I have a conflict on that date and can't attend. I hope it goes well."

Before (85 words)

"Hi team, as you all know, we have the client presentation coming up on Friday. I was thinking that it would be really great if we could all pull together some data to support the key points we want to make. Specifically, I think we need sales numbers from last quarter, customer satisfaction survey results, and some case studies from similar clients. It would be great if each of you could take one of these areas. Let me know what you think."

After (38 words)

Subject: Action needed by Thursday: data for Friday's client presentation

"Team -- For Friday's client presentation, please prepare by Thursday EOD:
- Alex: Last quarter's sales numbers
- Maria: Customer satisfaction survey results
- Tom: Two relevant case studies

Questions? Let me know today."

Five Rules for Concise Emails

1. Put the action in the subject line. "Approval needed: $4,800 for Asana" is ten times better than "Quick question."
2. Lead with the ask or key information. Don't bury your request in paragraph three.
3. Use bullet points and line breaks. Walls of text don't get read. Structure makes scanning easy.
4. Cut the pleasantries to one line maximum. "Hope you're well" is fine. Three sentences of it is not.
5. Specify deadlines and owners. "Please review" is vague. "Please approve by Thursday" is actionable.

1. Know Your Point Before You Open Your Mouth

The number one cause of verbal rambling is starting to speak before you know what you want to say. Take a beat. Formulate your point. Then speak. A two-second pause before answering a question feels like nothing to the listener but gives you time to organize your thoughts.

2. Use the "Headline First" Technique

State your main point as a headline, then add supporting detail only if asked. For example, if someone asks how the project is going, don't narrate the entire history. Say: "On track. We hit our two milestones this week." If they want more, they'll ask.

3. Answer the Question That Was Asked

A common trap is answering a question that wasn't asked, usually because you want to share something you've prepared. Listen carefully. Answer precisely. If someone asks "When will this be done?" the answer is a date, not a story about why it's complicated.

4. Use the "Traffic Light" Rule

When you start speaking, you have a green light for 30 seconds -- your listener is fully engaged. From 30-60 seconds, the light turns yellow -- attention is fading. After 60 seconds, it turns red -- you should stop or you risk losing your audience. This doesn't mean you can't speak for more than a minute, but after 60 seconds, you should pause and check for engagement.

5. Cut Filler Words

Verbal filler -- "um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically," "literally" -- pads your speech with dead air. It makes you sound uncertain and stretches a 30-second answer into a 90-second one. Practice: record yourself answering a question and count the fillers. Then re-answer with zero fillers. The difference is dramatic.

6. Stop When You've Made Your Point

Many speakers make their point clearly -- and then keep talking. They rephrase it, add unnecessary caveats, give one more example, or circle back to repeat themselves. This is the verbal equivalent of writing "in other words" after every paragraph. Make your point. Then stop. Silence after a strong statement is powerful, not awkward.

7. Use Numbers and Structure

When you have multiple points, signal the structure: "I have two concerns." or "There are three reasons." This tells the listener exactly how long you'll be speaking and gives them a mental framework to follow. It also forces you to be organized.

A Note on Brevity vs. Curtness

Being concise does not mean being cold. You can be brief and warm. "Thanks for asking -- the answer is yes, and I'll send the details by noon" is both concise and friendly. Curtness is a tone problem, not a length problem. Smile when you're brief and nobody will think you're rude.

Step 1: Cut Entire Sections That Don't Serve the Purpose

Before editing sentences, zoom out. Ask: "What is the purpose of this document?" Then ask of each paragraph: "Does this paragraph advance that purpose?" If not, delete the entire paragraph. This is the biggest cut and the hardest to make, but it's the most impactful.

Step 2: Merge Repetitive Paragraphs

Look for two paragraphs that make the same point in different ways. Combine them into one paragraph that makes the point once, well.

Step 3: Tighten Each Sentence

Go sentence by sentence. Apply the 10 rules from earlier: cut throat-clearing, replace phrases with words, use active voice, delete fillers, eliminate "there is/there are," undo nominalizations, remove redundant pairs, use strong verbs, and limit each sentence to one idea.

Step 4: Read Aloud and Cut Again

After tightening every sentence, read the whole thing aloud. Mark any place where you stumble, get bored, or run out of breath. Cut or rewrite those passages.

Step 5: Challenge Every Word

On your final pass, question every word. Point to each word and ask: "If I remove this, does the sentence lose meaning?" If the answer is no, remove it. This is tedious, but it's how you get from good to great.

1. Before (22 words): "It is absolutely essential that we make sure to complete the project before the deadline that has been set."

After (7 words): "We must complete the project by deadline."

---

2. Before (19 words): "The manager made the decision to give consideration to the proposal that was submitted by the team."

After (8 words): "The manager decided to consider the team's proposal."

---

3. Before (18 words): "There are many people in the world who do not have access to clean drinking water."

After (10 words): "Millions of people worldwide lack access to clean water."

---

4. Before (24 words): "In my personal opinion, I think that it would probably be a good idea if we were to consider hiring more staff."

After (5 words): "We should hire more staff."

---

5. Before (21 words): "She is a woman who is known for the fact that she has a lot of experience in marketing."

After (7 words): "She is an experienced marketing professional."

---

6. Before (26 words): "What I want to say is that the company's profits have been showing a consistent pattern of decline over the course of the last three quarters."

After (9 words): "Company profits have declined for three consecutive quarters."

---

7. Before (20 words): "He walked up to the front of the room in order to give a presentation about the new product."

After (9 words): "He presented the new product to the room."

---

8. Before (25 words): "The reason that we have decided to go in a different direction is due to the fact that the costs are too high."

After (9 words): "We chose a different direction because costs are too high."

---

9. Before (23 words): "It is our recommendation that the board of directors should give serious consideration to the option of reducing overhead expenses."

After (7 words): "We recommend the board reduce overhead expenses."

---

10. Before (28 words): "At the end of the day, when all is said and done, I think we can all agree that communication skills are important in virtually all aspects of life."

After (8 words): "Communication skills matter in every aspect of life."

Suggested Answers (Check After Attempting)

1. "Monday's meeting has been rescheduled to next Wednesday." (8 words)
2. "Saturday's company picnic is canceled due to severe weather." (9 words)
3. "Thank you all for your dedication on this challenging project." (10 words)
4. "Several employees haven't completed the mandatory training due last month." (10 words)
5. "Sales have declined for two quarters. We must cut costs immediately." (11 words)
6. "We can't confirm your application status yet but will update you soon." (12 words)
7. "Effective immediately: new policy on personal phone use during work hours." (11 words)
8. "Our analysis concludes: restructure the department." (6 words)
9. "Following up on our discussion about expanding into international markets." (10 words)
10. "The committee rejects the benefits changes due to budget constraints." (10 words)
11. "We need a detailed five-year strategic growth plan." (8 words)
12. "Contact me with any questions." (5 words)

Chapter Summary: The Conciseness Checklist

Use this checklist every time you write or prepare to speak:

• Have I started with my main point? (BLUF)
• Can I cut 30% of the words without losing meaning?
• Have I eliminated throat-clearing phrases?
• Have I replaced multi-word phrases with single words?
• Am I using active voice?
• Have I cut filler words (very, really, basically, actually)?
• Have I removed redundant pairs and phrases?
• Am I using strong verbs instead of weak verb + adverb?
• Does every paragraph have a clear topic sentence?
• Have I read it aloud and cut where I stumbled?

Remember: brevity is not about saying less. It is about saying only what matters.