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If you’re going to be providing information to someone else, whether it’s a speech, a meeting, or a presentation, one of the best gifts you can give is one of deletion.
In the book “Smart Brevity“, the authors say:
“Delete, delete, delete. What words, sentences or paragraphs can you eliminate before sending? Every word or sentence you can shave saves the other person time. Less is more—and a gift.”
It’s easy to write a long piece, but cutting it down requires effort — and that effort will be appreciated by the recipient. Remove fat and bloat, cut down your slides by 90%, weigh your words carefully, and take the time to write something shorter.
Everyone will appreciate it.
“I didn’t have time to write you a short letter– so I wrote a long one instead.”
—Mark Twain
Yep. Brevity takes time, and therefore is a gift you give to others.