Smart Brevity: Notes and Quotes

Here are some notes I took while reading Smart Brevity by VandeHei, Allen, & Schwartz. These are mostly quotes from the authors.

• Brevity is confidence. Length is fear.
• Don't be fancy -- be effective.
• Be simple, clear, direct.
• Write down that one thing you want the reader, viewer or listener to remember if it's all they take away. Write that before doing anything else. Then try to shorten it to fewer than a dozen words -- less is more.
• Less is more
• Delete, delete, delete. What words, sentences or paragraphs can you eliminate before sending?
• Write -- then go back and kill at least half the words.
• Stop using fancy SAT words or business-speak.
• In 10 words or less, write the reason you're bothering to write something in the first place.
• Would you read it if you hadn't written it?
• The first sentence is your one -- and likely only -- chance to tell someone what they need to know and convince them not to move on.
• ONE Big Thing ... what is the one thing you'd shout and hope they/readers don't forget? That's your opening sentence.
• Shorter is always better.
• "Mike has written a morning newsletter every day, 365 days, for 15 years. That's 5,000+ newsletters, with only 7 days off over that span to climb a mountain in Maine -- and heal from that adventure."
• BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front.
• If you don't know your one-sentence takeaway, there's no chance your audience will either.

On PowerPoints:

• Nirvana is the fewest words, on the fewest slides, with the fewest distractions possible.
• Simplify to exaggerate.
• Destroy anything that distracts from the essential points.
• One message per slide
• Keep it simple -- and short.
• Stay short, not shallow.
• Be frugal with words.