Question

Topic: Strategy

Conciseness

Posted by steven.alker on 8/29/2007 at 8:12 AM ET 250 Points
I'm learning brevity.

Is this a good thing?

Steve Alker
SalesVision
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by adammjw on 8/29/2007 at 8:24 AM Accepted
    Steve,

    What is your objective and why the idea? What do you want to achieve?
    How are your planning to measure if you are successful or not and it makes sense ? Is brevity more important than clarity and relevance?

    Adam
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/29/2007 at 8:36 AM Accepted
    Mark Twain once wrote, "I apologize for the length of this letter. I didn’t have time to make it shorter."

    The key is knowing which words to omit.
  • Posted by lathans on 8/29/2007 at 10:23 AM Accepted
    Yes.
  • Posted by steven.alker on 8/29/2007 at 10:44 AM Author
    Adam: Because I waffle!

    Jay: “”!

    Steve: Ta!

    Lathans: Good!

    Now how do I avoid all the exclamation marks in my answers?

    Steve
  • Posted by adammjw on 8/29/2007 at 10:46 AM Accepted
    Everybody does- sometimes. No need to worry.

    Adam
  • Posted by bobhogg on 8/29/2007 at 1:18 PM Accepted
    Hi Steve...

    Your question prompted me to google "brevity" and came up with this link - lots of quotes that seemed relevant!

    https://www.quotegarden.com/brevity.html

    Good luck,
    Bob
  • Posted by michael on 8/29/2007 at 10:22 PM Accepted
    Hai

    I think it depends on the audience. Young audiences you'll need to be brief as they tend to have short attention spans.

    (I meant: Yes, for kids)

    michael
  • Posted by steven.alker on 8/30/2007 at 11:04 AM Author
    Rndll: bldy txt.

    Futoro Latina texta
    At least the Romans abbreviated everything (At least in quotations)

    Rndll: “F” u 2! Whoops, jst wrked out wht tht cld hv ment!

    Adam: But I do it all the time!

    Bob: Best reference in MarketingProfs for ages

    Juliet: Many good points. Where it’s brevity vs. clarity, clarity wins. Where it’s clarity vs. impact, impact wins. Rants can rarely be shortened, so one should rant infrequently.

    As to literature, when TS Eliot wrote: (In Preludes). Forgive me if I get it wrong, it’s from a book in the loo, too far away to fetch)

    And now a gusty shower wraps
    The grimy scraps
    Of withered leaves about your feet
    And newspapers from vacant lots;
    The showers beat
    On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
    And at the corner of the street
    A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.

    And then the lighting of the lamps.

    I don’t think that a war-time summary would have hit the mark quite so well:

    London, 1917, December. Weather; Windy. Municipal Street Cleaning; Poor. Cab-horses; Overworked and un-companioned.

    Marcus: The best put-downs are often the briefest.

    Michael: Your parenthetic translation said it all!

    Randall: Survey? Stats? At least from you I’ll trust them. The best way of introducing brevity to questions on Statistics is to point out that their premises are inappropriate and whatever mathematical magic they utilise, their conclusions will be invalid.

    Unfortunately, it doesn’t get us paid anything!


    Steve
    PS This is hurting!


  • Posted by adammjw on 8/30/2007 at 11:31 AM Accepted
    Steve,

    If you are on the lookout for words of comfort - here I stand.
    I had a pleasure of communicating with you and the last thing I would say of your message would waffle.
    It was relevant and absolutely sensible. Arcane and technically specific-yes. Too technical for and outsider to grasp- perhaps.Could it have been put in simpler words- possible. Unless you are a copywriter or find your prospects and customers totally at a loss, it's ok.
    If it is this famous pre-autumn English spleen touching your soul, take a moment to relax in a sun-bathed place. It can do miracles.

    All the best

    Adam
  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 8/31/2007 at 7:17 PM Accepted
    Stevea,

    symbols r powerful

    More power = more simple.

    The simple anchors more deeply.

    The Brain stores pictures because they're easier to download.

    U-R- Born
    2-B-Gr8

    *CPE

    fastest way to communicate...use symbols.
  • Posted by Deremiah *CPE on 8/31/2007 at 7:18 PM Accepted

    Benjamin Franklin kept it simple.



    Simple sells...

    NIKE




    Just Do It!
  • Posted by steven.alker on 9/3/2007 at 7:53 AM Author
    Randall: Your fault for living in the White Mountains

    Deremiah: Too true, but the forum has limited support of Symbols!

    Deremiah: Benjamin Franklin “Cells” (He helped invent modern batteries!)

    Thanks to all of your insights and guidance. I’ve found it most instructive and useful. In summary:

    Brevity through editing is strength.

    Clarity must be maintained.

    But for me to eliminate emotion from my posting would be just plain silly, it would be a bit like voluntarily lobotomising myself with a power drill, so I’ll work on the conciseness where it is appropriate.

    You are a great bunch of people and I have a lot to thank for being a member of this community.

    With my sincerest best wishes

    Steve Alker
    SalesVision and Unimax Solutions
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