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Shorter is Better

3/15/2015

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Long and ponderous are out.  Short is in.

When USA TODAY was introduced several decades ago, they pioneered the shortening of print stories.  They looked for the nuggets and polished them.  That syndrome has driven journalism ever since. Similarly, it should drive your business writing.

We don’t take the time (we have the time, though we like to pretend we don’t) to read business communications/stories over a certain length. The typical newspaper column used to be 750 words. Now it is 600.  Often it is less than that.

Blogs further shorten the message, clocking in at 350-400 words give or take a few.  The question you must ask yourself in a business environment as you strive to drive a message through to others is:  How long will your reader stay with you?

Answering that question helps you focus on the core of your communication.  Dig in, determine what needs to be said, write it up, draw a conclusion, then put it out.  If you need to, repeat it.  It’s easier to follow up with another short message to reinforce your points than it is to go on and on, causing the reader to doze or daydream.

Shorter is better.  Your readers will appreciate the brevity, knowing you will stick to your points and not waste their time.

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