Smart Brevity

Tips & Tricks ➊ Axioms rock. These bolded signposts naturally grab attention and tell others where you are headed. • We are big fans of “Go deeper” because it states clearly that you will provide more data and context below. “The big picture” is also a good one when you’re zooming out to provide more context. ➋ Use bullets, often. The bullet po

If they were headed out the door, what is the one thing you would shout and hope they don’t forget? That’s your opening sentence.

An active verb brings action to your writing—it’s someone doing something: Roy races Miatas.

Always do this before you start communicating. If you try to speak to everyone, usually you reach no one. Singling out the person you want to reach clarifies things big-time.

Keep it simple—and short:

Write like you speak.

The person calling the meeting should be responsible for setting an objective (one direct sentence) and agenda (three bullet points, max) in an email before the meeting.

The pregame show: A good meeting is usually determined before it starts.

➍ Offer context.