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Why Do Short, Sharp Messages Get Better Results in a Noisy World?
A practical breakdown of the core ideas from Smart Brevity, including how to craft stronger subject lines, write high‑impact first sentences, and structure messages so busy readers stay engaged. Ideal for anyone who wants to communicate with clarity and influence.
Keep reading to learn how these Smart Brevity techniques can help you write messages people actually read—and remember.
We’ve hit peak information overload, and people’s patience with new messages is at an all-time low. The average worker receives 75 more emails each day than they did a decade ago, and skims online content incredibly fast. If you don’t give them something valuable in the first dozen words, you’ll lose them.
That’s why, if you’re going to remember one thing from this summary, it’s this: Give people the ONE new thing they need to know, in a strong first sentence, and say it in as few words as possible.
- No wordiness: Turn “Just writing to let you know that the team has finished the first draft and we’re ready for your review.” into, “First draft is ready for your review.”
- No questions: Skip, “Have you ever wondered why some companies succeed while others struggle to keep customers?” and just write, “Successful companies retain customers by delivering surprise gifts on day 30.”
Start your messages as though the reader is walking out of the elevator, and the door is closing behind them. What one message do you shout in the final seconds that you want them to remember? When you allow people to save time by providing them with what they need to know upfront, in as few words as possible, they are more likely to continue reading. As the authors put it: “The dopamine blast of a great idea or word buys you a few more seconds of someone’s time.”
Now, I’ll give you the option to go deeper and learn three critical Smart Brevity skills:
Craft Seductive Subject Lines
Whatever time you’re spending on subject lines, double it. 80% of your writing’s success comes down to your subject line. If your subject line doesn’t spark curiosity, your entire message will go unread. To paraphrase the authors: You would never cook a gourmet meal and serve it in a dog bowl. That’s basically what you’re doing with a lazy subject line. Here’s how to write a great subject line: Be provocative and specific in 6 words or fewer (6 words is short enough to display fully in mobile inboxes, but long enough to provide detail).
- Write: “7 Time-Saving Templates” instead of “Work Templates”
- Write: “Meet the Da Vinci of Programming” instead of “Meet the New Programming Lead”
That last subject line example leverages a powerful tip from the book: when possible, reference a popular figure or current event. For example, “Our Lionel Messi sales quarter” or “A SpaceX-Level Product Launch.”
Maximize the Impact of Your First Sentence
Maximize your first sentence’s impact by using an active voice and as many one-syllable words as possible. An active sentence starts with a “who-did-what” format. “The wildfire destroyed two hundred homes.” is active and easy to read. “Two hundred homes were destroyed by the wildfire.” is not. After writing your active statement, produce the shortest possible version using one-syllable words.
- Turn: The department introduced innovative technology to streamline operations. Into: The team has a new tool to cut work time.
- Turn: Dave has adopted an ambitious fitness routine to improve his health. Into: Dave’s been hitting the gym hard.
Make Four Message Upgrades
If you incorporate the following four attention magnets into your message, you’ll guide them down the page and help them retain important details.
- Axiom Header with Bullets: After your opening sentence, add a header that screams “this is worth your time.” Common axiom headers include “Why It Matters:”, “The Impact:”, and “By The Numbers:”. Make your axiom header big and bold, then follow it with 2-3 bullet points explaining why your reader should care.
- Paragraph Breaks & Bold Text: Break up large paragraphs after your axiom bullet points (keep each to under 3 sentences), and bold a key phrase within each paragraph. This lets skimmers receive value quickly and get curious enough to slow down and start reading every word.
- Strategic Emojis: Emojis were once reserved for teenagers, but now they are becoming powerful communication tools for everyone. When you use an emoji as a bullet for a key point, it instantly conveys information and provides a nice visual break. The authors place a simple bar chart emoji next to important data and the reader instantly knows what the item is about. So, start using emojis, but use them sparingly.
- Simple Visuals: Add an image to break up a string of paragraphs. This can include a chart screenshot or a simple AI-generated image to illustrate a point you just made. Remember: the mind loves visuals!
If we use all four magnets, an email that used to be a dense 4-paragraph email, now has a short opening sentence, followed by a Why It Matters section with bullets, then two short paragraphs with bolded key phrases, a simple chart, and a call to action with an emoji.