Reduce Wordiness. Be Concise.

An overload can slow things down.  This principle holds true with words.

When communication is too wordy, readers “gray out.” It is time to reduce wordiness.

From now on, imagine that each word you use will cost you 75¢!  If money was involved (really, it is), we all would work on being clear and concise, without sounding abrupt or offensive.

Avoid using wordy constructions; instead, choose a word or shorter phrase that means the equivalent, such as:

• In regard to = About
• At a later date = Later
• At the present time = Now
• As soon as = When
• Due to the fact that = Because
• For the purpose of = For

Here’s a great example of wordiness. It’s from the Justice Department’s guideline on expense reimbursement:

“In cases in which a claimant receives reimbursement under this provision for expenses that also will or may be reimbursed from another source, the claimant shall subrogate the United States to the claim for payment from the collateral source up to the amount for which the claimant was reimbursed under this provision.”

Huh? What did all that mean? If each word up there cost $1.00, that was a $52 paragraph!

Now, let’s try something cleaner, from the Center for Plain Language:

“If you already got payments from us and from another source for expenses, you must pay back what we paid you.”

That $21 paragraph above is much more readable, isn’t it?

Reduce wordiness. Have mercy on the audience. Ensure that your message is received!

This information is from the Effective Business Writing class. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes, or contact us to bring Improving Communications training to your place of business for onsite sessions.

Reduce Wordiness Resources:

Less is More: 10 Writing Tips to Help You Develop Your Writing

Embracing Brevity: How to Write Less and Say More

Techniques for Reducing Wordiness