It sounds like one of those endless cliché phrases of our times: So many people are talking, but no one is saying anything.  But, we see it everywhere.

Speeches made by people of note.  Countless editorials, articles, and posts.  Advertisements.  Mission statements.  Even my beloved social media is rife with it.  There is so much being said, and so little of it is worth a damn.

This seems to be a hard concept for people to understand sometimes, but it's more than just a clever phrase.  How much of what you hear (or say) is fluff?  Filler?  Jargon?  Fancy words that add little value to the statement?  Doesn't affect the listener?

We're all guilty of this from time to time, and I've, on occasion, been known for my verboseness.  But, luckily, we control the words that come out of our mouths, so we can all begin to change the tide.

The next time you write something, give it the red pen treatment.  Strip it down until it literally has nothing but the essentials - just nouns, verbs, and such - and see how few words it takes to your point across.  It's pretty few, isn't it?  So, did you really need all that "stuff" you started out with?

Obviously, you can't go through life talking like Tarzan.  I, myself, am rather found of multi-syllabic adjectives.  But learning to pare down the non-essentials is going to not only make you a better writer or speaker, but a more meaningful one, as well.

Being brief, succinct, and effective is exactly what clients want, and rarely what they get.  Let's work to change that.

Tags: communication | writing