October 2021
View our original newsletter here: Make Every Word Count Because Nobody Wants to Read Anything
Make Every Word Count Because Nobody Wants to Read Anything
Are you communicating with your clients and coworkers effectively? Are your messages short and polite? That balance is what we call conciseness.
Most people want to read short, clear messages that tell them exactly what you need or what they have to do without a lot of extra words.
Our professional writing has to be concise because, unfortunately, no one wants to read anything. Most of the people who are reading your messages or are writing to you are doing so because they need to get things done, or we need them to get things done.
They need to have information. Rather than reading to enjoy your emails, like they would a good book, they are reading the message trying to figure out: Why are you writing to me? And, what am I supposed to do with this?
Quick Tip: Make every word count (because no one wants to read anything).
Don't Just Take Our Word For It
See what other industry experts are saying about conciseness...
Concise Writing
"In writing, being concise means to use the least amount of words to express an idea clearly. Stripping out filler words and sentences can help strengthen your piece of writing for many reasons..."
Your Colleagues Don't Read Anything You Write: Here Are 8 Ways to Change That
"Long emails and dense, difficult to decipher memos mean modern office communication goes ignored more often than it’s understood... 'Nobody will ever want to read anything you write at work. Period'..."
Here's a concise video about conciseness!
Writing Concisely - UNC Writing Center
Go Further
Want to know where we got this tip? A variety of resources. But the book Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t: And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer by Steven Pressfield gives some great information about writing for your readers.
“When you understand that nobody wants to read your shit, you develop empathy. You acquire the skill that is indispensable to all artists and entrepreneurs—the ability to switch back and forth in your imagination from your own point of view as writer/painter/seller to the point of view of your reader/gallery-goer/customer. You learn to ask yourself with every sentence and every phrase: Is this interesting? Is it fun or challenging or inventive? Am I giving the reader enough? Is she bored? Is she following where I want to lead her?"
Quote of the Month
“Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.”
―William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction