Every communication you send, including emails, updates, presentations, and Slack messages, can be clearer, faster, and more likely to get read. This checklist shows you how.
Smart Brevity is a communication method developed in the Axios newsroom. It teaches you to put the most important information first, cut everything that doesn't earn its place, and respect your reader's time.
It's used by 30% of the Fortune 500, including bp, J&J, and CSX, and codified in the book Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, with over 400,000 copies sold.
Know your reader
Who is this for? What do they already know? What do they need to do after reading this?
Lead with the most important thing
What is the single most important piece of information? Put it in the first sentence.
Define your one ask
What do you want the reader to do, decide, or know? One thing. If you have three asks, you have zero asks.
Make it specific
Vague headlines get skipped. 'Q3 update' tells the reader nothing. 'Q3: revenue up, three risks ahead' tells them everything.
Front-load the news
The most important word or phrase goes first. Not at the end.
Keep it under 10 words
If you need more than 10 words, you haven't found the lead yet.
Answer the headline in the first sentence
The opening sentence should pay off the headline immediately. No preamble, no context-setting, no 'as you know.'
Cut the throat-clearing
Delete any sentence that begins with 'I wanted to reach out,' 'As we head into,' or 'I hope this finds you well.'
State the stakes
Why does this matter? Why now? Give the reader a reason to keep reading in the first two sentences.
One idea per paragraph
Each paragraph carries exactly one idea. When you move to a new idea, start a new paragraph.
Use bullets for lists of three or more
Three or more parallel items are always clearer as bullets than as a run-on sentence.
Bold the most important phrase per section
Readers scan before they read. Bold the phrase that earns a second look.
Cut every word that doesn't earn its place
Read each sentence and ask: does this word add meaning? If not, delete it.
End with a clear next step
What happens next? Who does what by when? State it explicitly. Don't make the reader guess.
Never end with 'Let me know if you have questions'
This is a non-close. It puts the burden on the reader. Instead, state what you'll do next or what you need from them.
Read it out loud
If you stumble reading it, your reader will stumble reading it. Rewrite until it flows.
Cut the last sentence
Most communications end one sentence too late. Try deleting the last sentence. It's usually better.
Would you read this if someone sent it to you?
Honest answer. If no, rewrite it.
Community cleanup event
The community cleanup event was a resounding success, thanks to the enthusiastic participation of our colleagues at The FlipTide Foundation and San Diego community members. The event helped clean up our local environment and brought the FlipTide family together, strengthening our commitment to sustainability and community engagement. Over 100 participants joined the cleanup, including 23 of our own teammates, and the Foundation plans to organize more community initiatives like this.
Community cleanup event
1 big thing: The community cleanup event was a resounding success.
Why it matters: The event helped clean up our local environment and brought the FlipTide family together.
By the numbers: Over 100 participants joined the cleanup, including 23 teammates.
What's next: The Foundation plans more community initiatives.
The Smart Brevity Certification Program trains teams in 6 to 8 weeks. Keynotes and on-site sessions available for faster rollout.