Smart Brevity

Smart Brevity Plot Summary

Introduction

In today's world of overwhelming information, we face an unprecedented challenge. Every day, we're bombarded with emails, texts, social media posts, news articles, and presentations that demand our attention but rarely deserve it. The typical professional spends 28% of their workday managing emails alone, while social media users scroll through 300 feet of content every day. This isn't just noise—it's a thick fog obscuring what truly matters. The modern attention economy creates a paradox: as communication channels multiply, our ability to be heard diminishes. Whether you're pitching an idea to your team, crafting an important email, or presenting to clients, the struggle to break through the noise is real. But what if there was a systematic approach to make your words stand out? What if you could consistently capture attention, deliver your message with crystal clarity, and have people actually remember what you said? This is the transformative promise of learning to say more with less.

Chapter 1: Embrace the Fog of Words: Understanding Today's Communication Challenge

Never in human history have we produced so many words with such velocity across so many platforms. This constant barrage has jammed our inboxes, clogged our minds, and paralyzed our workplaces. We're all prisoners to words—writing them, reading them, listening to them—while feeling increasingly scattered and impatient. The science reveals sobering facts about our attention spans. Eye-tracking studies show we spend just 26 seconds on average reading a piece of content. We spend fewer than 15 seconds on most web pages we click. Our brains decide in a mere 17 milliseconds if we like what we just clicked. Most disturbingly, we share most stories without bothering to read them. We check our phones over 344 times daily—once every 4 minutes—constantly seeking the dopamine jolts from texts, tweets, and social media updates. Jim VandeHei, one of the authors, experienced this reality firsthand when writing for major publications. His 1,600-word columns might attract a million readers, but data revealed a harsh truth: about 80% stopped reading after the first page. Even paid subscribers to premium content services overwhelmingly preferred shorter pieces. This revelation became a turning point in his approach to communication. The fog of words has two main causes: technology and our stubborn bad habits. The internet and smartphones opened floodgates for everyone to share everything instantly and constantly. Yet we continue writing as if it's 1980, producing the same volume of words despite knowing everyone has less time and more distractions. As Mark Twain confessed to a friend in 1871, "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one." This problem is especially acute in workplaces. Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, noted that in a hypothetical 10,000-employee company spending $1 billion on payroll, 50-60% of the average employee's time is spent on communication. Yet almost no one provides training on how to do this well. The result is billions of wasted words, with roughly one-third of work emails requiring attention going unread. The solution isn't complicated, but it requires a fundamental shift: adapt to how people actually consume content, not how you wish they did. By embracing Smart Brevity, you can punch through the noise, be heard on what matters most, and have your ideas recognized and remembered.

Chapter 2: Master Short, Not Shallow: The Smart Brevity Philosophy

Smart Brevity is a system and strategy for thinking more sharply, communicating more crisply, and saving yourself and others time. It guides you into saying a lot more with a lot less—and that is its greatest power. While how we consume information has evolved drastically thanks to the internet, little has changed in how we write and communicate. The core of Smart Brevity isn't about being brief for brevity's sake. Rather, it's about bringing more soul and salience to your writing by being direct, helpful, and time-saving. The authors emphasize "short, not shallow" as their guiding principle—never omitting important facts or nuance, never oversimplifying or dumbing down. The goal is to radically rethink how you deliver information so it sticks in our digital world. David Rogers, a veteran reporter at The Wall Street Journal, became a pivotal influence in the development of Smart Brevity. When Jim, one of the authors, proudly showed David 1,200 words of beautiful, meandering prose, David bluntly responded, "It's a pile of shit." He then grabbed a pencil, revised the structure, sketched a short direct opening sentence, shaved off superfluous words, and demanded context. Years later, this approach helped inspire the Smart Brevity architecture. The cold, hard truth is that most people are lousy writers and fuzzy thinkers. We might generate a smart idea, but when we type it up, it sounds like a clump of mud. Smart Brevity acts as a straitjacket on your worst communication instincts and habits. It's a way to clean up and frame your thinking, then deliver it with punch. With this approach, you won't have to start fresh every time you have something to say. Instead, you'll have a replicable structure to make sure you sound like the smartest, most organized person in the room. Smart Brevity has four main components, all easy to learn and teach. First, create a muscular "tease" of six or fewer strong words to grab attention. Second, craft one strong first sentence that tells something new or important. Third, provide context with "Why it matters" to explain significance. Finally, give readers the choice to "Go deeper" if they want more information. Following this structure transforms how you communicate. The bottom line: Smart Brevity isn't just about saving time—it's about sharper thinking. By focusing on your audience first and considering what they need rather than what you want to say, you'll naturally cut down on waste. When you start thinking about serving your audience—colleagues, students, friends—and not your own ego, your communication will become more effective and memorable.

Chapter 3: Grab Attention with Strong Openings

The most important words you type are subject lines, headlines, and the first line of tweets, notes, or papers. You need to grab readers, entice them, seduce them—and most people are terrible at this. Your opening is where readers decide whether to invest their precious attention or move on. The science confirms how quickly these decisions happen. Our brains are wired to make clear, quick yes-or-no judgments—fight or flight, click or scroll, read or ignore. The dopamine blast of a great idea or word buys you a few more seconds of someone's time, but every word is a battle for additional attention. Research shows that roughly six words is the optimal subject line for emails—short enough to display fully on a mobile phone. Eddie Berenbaum, president of Century 21 Redwood Realty, discovered a powerful technique for his recruitment newsletters targeting competing agents. He found that simply including the name of Tom Ferry—a well-known real estate motivational coach—in his subject lines dramatically increased open rates. This insight helped him identify which recipients were most receptive to his messages, creating better-qualified leads for conversations. The authors learned this lesson the hard way. As journalists, they initially measured success by word count and bylines—the more, the better. Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei rose to prominence covering the presidency for major publications by producing hundreds of thousands of words. They never questioned if anyone was actually reading their lengthy articles until web analytics provided a sobering reality check. Data revealed most readers only saw headlines and perhaps the first few paragraphs. To craft attention-grabbing openings, start by stopping bad habits: using too many words, being unnecessarily clever, or using fancy vocabulary. Instead, write in 10 words or less the reason you're bothering to write in the first place, using the most provocative yet accurate language possible. Prefer short, strong words over longer ones, and always use active verbs. The litmus test: Would you read it if you hadn't written it? Consider the difference between these headlines. Instead of "The coronavirus variant in California is possibly more infectious and might cause more serious illness than the first," Smart Brevity gives you "California COVID-19 strain is more infectious than the first." Rather than "Health-care jobs will be able to keep the US labor market growing—even if we see a recession in the future," you get the punchier "Health-care hiring is recession-proof." The same principle applies to email subject lines. Replace "Some follow-ups for Monday to discuss later today at meeting" with the direct "TWO important updates." Instead of "Update on our plans to deal with virus/work from home," use the clearer "New remote work plan." These simple changes dramatically increase the chances your message will be read and remembered.

Chapter 4: Structure Your Message for Maximum Impact

If there's one thing to take away from Smart Brevity, it's this: identify and trumpet ONE thing you want people to know, and do it in ONE strong sentence. Otherwise, no one will remember it. This principle applies whether you're writing an email, a social media post, or a presentation. Most busy people remember only snippets of what they read. They're scanning your content—not reading word for word—trying to answer two questions: What is this? Is it worth my time? The first sentence is your one chance to tell them what they need to know and convince them not to move on. You have mere seconds to share a clear answer before losing them to other distractions. Cliff Sims, who worked for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and in the White House, had countless fascinating stories but struggled to capture them effectively in writing for his book. The solution was surprisingly simple: he recorded himself telling the stories to his wife, then transcribed them. This approach preserved his natural storytelling voice and produced Team of Vipers, one of the most engaging accounts of the Trump administration. This illustrates a powerful tip: after an interview or event, call someone and tell them what happened—that's your first sentence, every time. Our brains naturally identify what's most interesting and important, but when we start typing, we often make things more complex and forgettable. When writing an update to your team, imagine you're talking to them in an elevator with no time to spare. What one thing would you shout as they're headed out the door? That's your opening sentence. Beyond your strong opening, Smart Brevity uses signposts called "Axioms" to guide readers. The most common is "Why it matters," which provides essential context. These bolded headings help organize information and keep readers oriented. Other useful Axioms include "The big picture," "What's next," and "The bottom line." They act like street signs, telling readers where they are and where they're going. To master this structure, first boil down your most important point, keeping your target audience in mind. Skip anecdotes, jokes, or showing off, and stick to a one-sentence limit. Don't repeat your headline verbatim if you used one. Remove adverbs, weak words, and anything extraneous. Then ask yourself: if this is the ONLY thing the person sees or hears, is it exactly what you want to stick? Smart Brevity also gives readers the option to "Go deeper" after your main points. This exit line makes readers feel fulfilled while allowing you to point to additional context without overwhelming them with words. Most won't follow these deeper links, but their presence shows readers you respect their time and choices while demonstrating your thoroughness.

Chapter 5: Communicate Inclusively and Effectively Across Teams

If you're not communicating inclusively, you're not communicating effectively. Being accessible, relatable, and credible with everyone in your audience—regardless of gender, race, religion, gender identity, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, or other factors—is essential for truly effective communication. The principles of Smart Brevity naturally help bridge differences in background and abilities. Its direct, stripped-down approach is accessible and non-divisive by design. When executed carefully, it becomes a universal style of communication that naturally cleanses much of the cultural bias and complexity from the author. This makes what matters most accessible to people with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, and those for whom English is a second language. Roy Schwartz, one of the authors, experienced this benefit firsthand. As a child in Ilford, England, teachers thought he was a problem child. His spelling was often atrocious, and his grades suffered. One seventh-grade English teacher wrote on his paper, "Short and not very sweet. Do you not own a dictionary?" Roy wasn't dumb—he was dyslexic. This experience shaped his understanding of how important clear, accessible communication can be. To communicate inclusively, acknowledge your blind spots and take steps to uplift diverse voices. The authors admit that as "three white dudes" who started Axios, they recognized many life experiences and perspectives they were missing. Making diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority from day one, both in hiring and in decision-making, helped address this limitation. The Axios newsroom developed best practices for inclusive writing: be specific when writing about someone and ask how they identify; cut descriptors that may subtly reinforce stereotypes; dig deeper into photo choices to avoid facilitating tropes; and swap one identity for another to see if the language remains non-judgmental. Smart Brevity helps avoid pitfalls by simply omitting irrelevant information. The Asian American Journalists Association advises: "Is race/ethnicity/religion/national origin relevant? Using these descriptors when they're not relevant or without explaining their relevance perpetuates harmful stereotypes." Similarly, the National Center on Disability and Journalism recommends referring to a disability only when relevant to the story. For inclusive communication, Roy offers three key tips: Write in plain, clear language that anyone can understand; use bullet points to separate important points into their components; and keep it simple and short, as complexity confuses and length loses people. These practices help unite people around a common understanding of important ideas. The impact of inclusive communication extends far beyond political correctness. One in five children report learning disabilities, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. If this holds true into adulthood, you're potentially talking about 65 million Americans—20 percent of your audience. Communicating clearly and directly ensures your message reaches everyone.

Chapter 6: Deploy Smart Brevity in Different Formats

Smart Brevity isn't limited to emails or memos—it can transform every communication format you use. Whether it's newsletters, meetings, speeches, presentations, or social media, applying these principles will make your messages more effective and memorable. For newsletters, start with a punchy name and be specific about how much time you're asking from readers. Begin with your most important item as "1 big thing," followed by a tight, forceful headline. Make sure your layout is clean and pleasing to the eye. Number your items, keep the total length under 1,000 words ideally, and include a compelling image. End with something funny or personal to leave readers smiling. Elizabeth Lewis, communications director for the mayor of Austin, Texas, experienced the power of this approach firsthand. Her boss preferred long-form communication, but she knew that wasn't how people consumed information anymore. By adopting Smart Brevity for city council recaps sent to media after meetings, they achieved much better engagement. "Reporters want the shortest possible pitch," she explained. "That's how they consume information. That's how I consume information." For meetings, the preparation is crucial. Set clear objectives and a brief agenda in advance. Limit meetings to 20 minutes when possible, and start on time with your headline—the one-sentence objective. Explain why it matters to this specific group at this moment, state what decisions need to be made, and guide focused discussion. With two minutes remaining, summarize takeaways and next steps, then follow up with a bullet-point email while everything is fresh. For speeches, remember the sweet spot: make remarks worthy of the audience's time, with one big memorable point. Some of history's most iconic speeches were remarkably brief—the Gettysburg Address was just 272 words. Structure your speech to describe the status quo, contrast it with your big idea, and end with a call to action. Start with a relatable story, distill your most important point into one short sentence, and reinforce it at both the beginning and end. For presentations, think minimalist: the fewest words, on the fewest slides, with the fewest distractions. Write down the precise outcome you want and the supporting points you must make. Ensure each slide conveys just one message that can be absorbed in three seconds. Use pictures to tell your story—they're more effective than text—and keep the total presentation to about a dozen slides. For social media, remember you're engaged in hand-to-hand combat for attention. A winning formula is giving something to the audience rather than asking them to click, buy, or do something. Be platform-specific: Twitter likes facts and urgency; Instagram needs eye-catching images with slim text; Facebook rewards provocative spins on ideas or announcements. Geoff Morrell, former head of communications at BP, pioneered bringing Smart Brevity into a large corporation. After experiencing the military's "BLUF" (Bottom Line Up Front) approach at the Pentagon, he created an internal newsletter called "ITK" (In the Know) for BP management. The approach spread company-wide, transforming not just newsletters but internal memos, policy papers, performance reviews, and even safety briefings. More than 500 BP communicators worldwide were trained in Smart Brevity, seeing open rates spike as leaders across countries and languages became brevity evangelists.

Summary

The modern world drowns us in words while starving us of meaning. Throughout this exploration of Smart Brevity, we've discovered that the most powerful communication happens when we respect our audience's time and intelligence. As the authors powerfully remind us, "Brevity is confidence. Length is fear." This isn't about saying less—it's about making every word count toward saying more. The path forward is clear: identify your one big point, express it in simple, strong words, explain why it matters, and give readers the choice to go deeper. Apply these principles across all your communications—from emails to presentations to social media—and watch as your messages start breaking through the noise. Starting today, challenge yourself to communicate one important idea using Smart Brevity principles. Your colleagues, friends, and audience will not only hear you—they'll remember what you said. And in our distracted world, that might be the greatest communication victory of all.

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Jim Vandehei

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