Brief

Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less

by Joseph McCormack

4.4(656 ratings)

12 min read

Brief overview

This book highlights how saying less can help you achieve clearer, more persuasive communication in any professional or personal setting. It outlines practical tools, such as concise storytelling, visual outlining, and controlled conversations, so that your audience remains engaged without feeling overloaded. With brevity as a powerful and respectful approach, it reveals how you can win attention, build trust, and drive better outcomes in a distraction-filled world.

Introduction

Welcome! In a world full of constant interruptions, it’s easy to feel drowned out by long-winded information. Whether you’re pitching a business plan or writing a simple email, the ability to make your point quickly has become an essential skill. Brief communication saves time, upholds respect, and fosters genuine engagement.

This book begins with a simple premise: people are busy, and focus is limited. If you don’t get to the heart of your message in a clear, concise way, you risk losing your audience from the first moment. But brevity does not mean stripping away meaning; instead, it’s about precise expression and knowing what truly matters.

Throughout these pages, you’ll discover how to streamline your ideas, adopt disciplined storytelling, and bring visual elements into your communication. The goal is not to ignore details but to tactically select the most important points and deliver them in a way that’s both memorable and meaningful.

“Make your words count, because no one has room for clutter.”

Why Brevity Matters

As information explodes from every direction, people filter messages instinctively—conversations, emails, ads, videos. With so many voices clamoring for attention, what gets through are messages that are to the point. Brevity shows you value the audience’s time and intelligence.

Cutting needless words can be challenging, especially if you’re excited about your topic. But too many details can bury insights. Learning to identify what’s central to your message—and letting go of what’s not—demonstrates care and self-awareness.

The less your audience works to understand you, the more they’ll tune in.

Brevity also guides you to recognize when you’re overshadowing other people’s contributions. Respectful speech invites collaboration. Whether in a pitch, a memo, or a conversation, short, focused input encourages dialogue, where real understanding can grow.

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What is Brief about?

"Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less" by Joseph McCormack is a transformative guide for mastering the art of concise communication. In our information-overloaded world, this insightful book breaks down the importance of brevity as a tool for clear, persuasive messaging. McCormack provides practical techniques like visual outlining and purposeful storytelling, empowering readers to engage their audience without overwhelming them. With brevity, you gain attention and respect while building trust and driving better outcomes in both professional and personal spheres.

The book unfolds as a comprehensive manual, illustrating how to make your words work more effectively. You will learn to structure ideas sharply and tell compelling stories succinctly. Through mastery of concise communication, your messages will become more impactful, whether in everyday emails or high-stakes presentations. McCormack's approach acknowledges the modern attention challenges we face, offering solutions that convert verbosity into clarity and focus. In a competitive landscape where time and attention are precious, "Brief" becomes an indispensable resource for anyone aiming to communicate with precision and influence.

Review of Brief

Joseph McCormack's "Brief" is a refreshing beacon of clarity in the sea of overwhelming information. Its greatest strength lies in its applicability across various domains, from professional pitches to casual conversations. McCormack's strategies, such as concise storytelling and visual mind-mapping, are designed to elevate your communication efficiency while keeping your audience engaged. By implementing these techniques, you can transform long-winded explanations into gripping discussions and insightful presentations.

The book excels in providing practical exercises and real-world applications, which empower the reader to immediately practice brevit. McCormack's writing style is itself an example of clarity and accessibility, reflecting the core principles he's advocating. His insights are sharpened with well-crafted examples and research-backed data, making the methods both convincing and achievable.

The target audience for "Brief" includes professionals seeking to enhance their communication skills, leaders aiming to foster concise corporate dialogue, and educators desiring to streamline information delivery. McCormack expertly demonstrates that efficiency in speaking is not about cutting corners but transmitting the essence of your message effectively. With a tone that is authoritative yet endlessly approachable, this book is a must-read for anyone eager to command attention and inspire action through concise communication.

I wholeheartedly recommend "Brief" to anyone invested in winning over their listeners, whether on stage, in meetings, or through day-to-day interactions. Mastering the art of brevity is not just beneficial—it's essential in today's fast-paced world.

Who should read Brief?

Businesses executives looking to refine their leadership communication with impact and clarity.
Teachers and educators striving for more focused and engaging delivery of information.
Entrepreneurs keen on developing effective pitches and concise business presentations.
Corporate workers dealing with high-volume email communications in need of streamlining.
Public speakers who want to captivate their audience with succinct yet powerful messages.

About the author

Joseph McCormack is a marketing executive, entrepreneur, and author recognized for his work in concise, strategic communication and leadership development. He holds a BA in English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago, where he graduated with honors. With over 20 years of experience, he has founded The Sheffield Company and The BRIEF Lab, and has worked with numerous high-profile clients including Harley-Davidson, MasterCard, and SAP. His book "Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less" sets the standard for concise communication, and he has also authored "Noise" and "Quiet Works: Making Silence the Secret Ingredient of the Workday".