If you want people to absorb and act on what you write, whether it be a report, memo, or email – it must be short and every word must count. Here are three ways to trim your writing and say what you want in fewer words:
Refine it. Take a hard look at the structure of your writing. What do you want people to know, feel and do? Only include words, sentences and sections that support your points.
Use an informal tone. Don’t refer to clients, customer or the audience you are writing to in the third-person – he, she, them, they, theirs. Use I/we, and you and yours. Adopting a more informal tone helps you be direct and concise, and relatable.
Leave, return, cut. Try to get some space between you and your writing by leaving it for a while. Overnight works best, but 15 to 20 minutes of space can work, too. Walk away and then come back, and read it out loud. If a word or sentence doesn’t serve an important purpose, get rid of it.
You have only seconds to grab attention, impart ideas, and call people to action. Shorter messages simply work better.
Have a great week.
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