Unveiling the Power of Brief Communication: Why Speaking Less and Impacting More Wins in Today’s World

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“Brief” deciphers the secret weapon of 'speak little, punch hard'. Why in this era do people who speak briefly win?

Have you ever? Sitting in a conference room so long that you almost fall asleep, a good idea gets buried under a pile of 100-page slides, or an email is so long that you don't even know what an action item is… This is a chronic illness of today's working world.

We live in an “Attention Economy” where people's time and attention have become the most precious resources. Just because you can communicate a complex idea in 5 minutes doesn't mean you know it superficially; it (conversely) means you've “crystallized” it in a deep way.

book “Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less” by Joseph McCormack does not teach us to “say less,” but rather teaches us to “make more of an impact” by saying less. This is a transition from “Swinging communication” (Volume) to “Laser communication” (Precision) and this is what Thumbsup would like to invite everyone to delve into.

Why is “shortness” the new currency of the digital age?

Today's world is spinning too fast. The brains of our customers, executives, and even our co-workers are becoming “overloaded” with all sorts of information, news, and offers. To put it simply, you That doesn't mean your message will be dry. No details It means that you “respect the time” of the listener.

The art of brevity is finding the perfect balance between Conciseness, Clarity and power of persuasion (Persuasiveness)

In the marketing industry We often unconsciously think that providing a lot of information will make customers trust us. But the truth is the opposite. Being able to distill the benefits that customers will receive (Key Benefit) in just one sentence. Or explain a complex campaign to executives in a single slide. That is the evidence of True “professionalism”

Analyzing the 6 “sins” that make us talkative (The 6 Sins of Verbosity)

Before getting to the “How-to,” we must first analyze the “Why.” Why can't we speak briefly? McCormack points to 6 main reasons that are like a mirror to us working people.

1. Fear (Fear): I'm afraid that if I say too little The idea will not be strong enough. Afraid of being washed and not being able to answer, so I had to “spray out” everything I knew to protect myself. Saying things like this makes you seem insecure and lacking in leadership qualities.
2. narcissism (Narcissism): “I am an expert. I need to show you how much I know.” This is a trap. People (especially customers) don't want to know how skilled you are. He just wants to know how you can “solve” his problem.
3. Impudence: Disrespect for other people's time I think my story is the most important. You might get 15 minutes to give a presentation, but it drags on for 40 minutes. This creates enemies without even knowing it.
4. imprudence (Thoughtlessness): This is “thinking and talking.” The idea has not yet crystallized. Not yet finished composing But say it first. It is about throwing the burden of processing onto the listener. This should not happen in the professional world.
5. Stubbornness (Stubbornness): I think my idea is great. Too complex to be briefly summarized. “You don't understand.” Thinking like this is insulting to the listener. And it keeps you stuck in your own complexity.
6. imprecision (Inaccuracy): The preparation was not good enough. I don't know what to tell before and after. So I have to tell you all about it, just in case. This is communication that reflects carelessness in work.

“BRIEF” Framework: A narrative structure that will make the listener say “Oh!”

When you know the problem Here's the solution: McCormack offers a simple tool called a “Mind Map” or “BRIEF” thinking structure to help you prioritize your thoughts before speaking:

• B = Background (flooring): Start with a brief context: “Why do we need to talk today?” (i.e. results from the last meeting).
• R = Relevance (relevance): Tell people, “What does this have to do with you?” (Why should you care?) This is to grab immediate attention.
• I = Information (main information): Enter the main content “What do you offer? What are the benefits? What do I need to use?” distilled down to only the important points.
• E = Ending (conclusion and next steps): Summarize what you want from them: “What are Next Steps? When is the deadline?”
• F = Follow-up (Question): Give an opportunity to ask questions. And what is more superior is “Predicting questions in advance” and competing for answers in the presentation This is to show how well you've done your homework.

Taking the time to “prepare” to filter content is to “save time” when presenting, and it is to change the status from “the person who tells the story” to “the person who assembles the furniture.” The customer just sits and admires the finished product. It's not like sitting and looking at thousands of patterns and parts.

Humans remember “stories,” not “dry information.”

In an era where Data is King, we often forget that the people listening to us are “humans”.

McCormack emphasizes that the average person can focus fully on something is 8 seconds! The only way to break through this barrier is to tell a story.

A successful presentation must feel like a conversation, not a lecture. Including personal stories, mistakes, lessons, or even references to related movies or songs creates an “emotional connection” that raw data cannot.

A good story should have: a compelling title, conflict, humanity, logic, and a powerful conclusion. But don't make mistakes, such as

• The story is too long. (Contrary to the “Brief” principle)
• Using metaphors that are too profound and confusing to the listener
• I didn't practice telling the story before. It makes it stuck and looks unnatural.

“Speak briefly” in everyday life From email to social media

Shortness is not limited to the boardroom. But it must be at every touchpoint of communication.

• Conversation (Controlled Conversation): Consider talking to work as “playing tennis” and interacting with rhythm and purpose, not “bowling” where you talk for a long time one-sidedly. Practice “active listening” and dare to “pause” for 2 seconds before answering. to filter speech
• Written Communication
  • Email: Start with the main point or “The Ask” right away. Use as many Bullet Points or Lists as possible. Focus. Bold or Italics At the point where it is an Action Item and don't let the receiver have to press “Scroll Down”
  • Social media: Research has shown that the most popular posts are only 80 characters long! (Shorter than 140 characters) This is proof that “If your idea needs more explanation, It shows that it's not good enough.”

Use “images” and “participation” to break down walls.

The quickest way to “cut” off clutter is with visuals.

Humans remember 80% of visual information, but only 10% of auditory information!

Try turning a slide filled with 500 words of text into one powerful image or a simple diagram. It saves time and gets people listening right away.

Other techniques include setting up a “moderator” in the meeting or even a “stand-up meeting” so that everyone feels a little uncomfortable and gets to the point as quickly as possible.

Thumbsup Consider that in an era where AI can produce thousands of words of “lazy” content in a matter of seconds. The most valuable skill of “humans” is “Distillation” (Distillation).

“Brief” is not just a presentation technique, it is “discipline” and “philosophy” in working. It is showing respect for other people's time. And it's the clearest evidence that you're truly an expert in what you're saying.

For marketers and modern workers, speaking briefly, speaking clearly, and speaking to create an immediate impact is no longer an “alternative” but a “new standard” of professionalism. Whoever can do it first will win in this battle.

Read more

• Pre-Suasion, the science of 'paving the way' before speaking, instructing the customer's mind before actually selling, by Robert Cialdini

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