Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less

The authors begin this chapter by arguing that a newsletter is the most effective way of keeping people up to date with the happenings in any given group setting (offices, classrooms, and the like). According to the authors, newsletters are much more widely read than reports or memos. The authors tell the story of Elizabeth Lewis, the communications director for the mayor of Austin, Texas, Steve Adler. The mayor preferred long-form communications, which Lewis objected to, realizing that people are not typically inclined to consume this kind of content regularly. She convinced the mayor to utilize Axios HQ, and once the team had transitioned, their daily newsletter was a success. The following “Tips & Tricks” section includes coming up with a catchy, short title for the newsletter; never exceeding the number of words the average person reads per minute, which is 265 (114); placing the most important information up top; and sticking to a plain font instead of something fancier. A sample newsletter is then displayed within a cell phone graphic, and the tips and tricks are presented with a key or legend of what they are. There are 10 total. The authors once again insist on brevity, noting that the sample newsletter is under 1,000 words, which they recommend. Do not run past this word count, and always seek to trim the fat within one’s own prose.

As the title suggests, the chapter focuses on how smart brevity can help make someone stand out at work. The authors discuss the nature of the modern workplace, in which “close relationships with colleagues” and “engagement” are now the hallmarks of job satisfaction (120). Employees want their jobs to mean something, and in generating this meaning, communication is critical. From the company’s perspective, articulating its values is of the utmost importance as employees want to be sure that their employer’s values match their own, especially when it comes to social causes. Once again, the way these values are communicated is important. The authors maintain that smart brevity enables the necessary clear, direct messaging of values. The chapter then shifts to the “Tips & Tricks” section and discusses how best to give PowerPoint presentations. In keeping with the advice offered thus far, the authors urge presenters to keep their slideshow concise. They advise that no slide should have more than 20 words and that graphics should be minimal and not detract from the message being delivered. In addition, these presentations should be kept to a six-slide maximum. The chapter concludes with an anecdote, this one involving Geoff Morrell, the communications director for BP. Having adopted some of the same stylistic techniques that the authors advocate in this book, Morrell is renowned for his direct, concise, and clear communication style.

The chapter begins by citing a poll from Gallup in which a large majority of workers desire shorter communications. The authors also cite data that show the large increase in the number of emails that employees have received since 2005. A sample email is given that was written by executives at Axios to the authors. The style is direct and stripped of unnecessary details. The authors then provide more “tips and tricks,” notably reasserting the importance of an effective subject line when sending emails. They recommend using bullet points and using bold font when one wants attention drawn to specific words or ideas. The chapter concludes with two sets of email samples, one version written before using smart brevity and one revised version after the tips and tricks have been applied.

The authors assert that meetings will become more effective if the presenter of the meeting applies the principles of smart brevity, as these principles will demonstrate to their audience that they respect their audience’s time. The authors cite data that show how many employees become easily disinterested in meetings and claim that in order to offset this lack of interest, company leaders need to keep things to the point. The authors also emphasize the importance of setting up the meeting properly and suggest that one should make sure the meeting is absolutely necessary and purpose driven. They recommend limiting meetings to 20 minutes or under and opening the meeting with an effective headline. They then walk the reader through the application of the smart brevity core principles for meetings. Lastly, the authors stress the importance of making sure the meeting starts on time.

The authors frame the chapter by stating that the most effective speeches are generally short and less than 20 minutes in duration, and they cite some of the most famous addresses in US history as examples. They then reference the findings of Nancy Duarte, who studied many famous speeches and discovered the components that made these speeches successful, including Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The authors next provide their own advice, which begins with a call for writers to be authentic and not try to sound like someone else. They recommend paying close attention to one’s main point, suggesting that one should spend ample time revising this point and trimming it so that it packs a punch and is memorable. Next, one should reiterate their main point before moving on to the “Why It Matters” section and the backstory. Before finishing the speech, return to the main point and repeat it. The authors transition into an example of an ineffective speech that President Joe Biden delivered at the 2021 Naval Commencement. The authors argue that the speech lacked a big idea and was full of too many abstract words. It was not direct or anchored in a straightforward style. They then reference a TED Talk delivered by Pamela Meyer, a social network expert who begins her speech with an effective, catchy accusation that everyone in the room is a liar, which is followed by a quick shot of irony and a purpose statement.

The authors state that presentations are stressful for the presenter and usually boring for the audience. Again, they insist that one should keep the presentation simple and direct. With PowerPoint, the authors advise limiting the text on each slide and suggest using some kind of image, as an image is more likely to register with the audience than text. The authors also recommend starting at the end when developing the presentation and determining the precise outcome one wants and then building the speech accordingly. After reiterating the importance of keeping slides short and concise, the authors recommend closing the presentation by looping back to the purpose statement.