"I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."
This is quote from Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and theologian who wrote it in 1656.
The quote changes slightly as the original is in French and translations vary.
It is so popular that it has been attributed to the king of the pithy quote, Mark Twain.
The quote has endured the jump into English and the leap into the digital age because it beautifully sums up the difficulty of great writing. If done well, it looks so easy.
The gift of brevity
Brevity is the greatest gift you can give your reader. It is the ultimate act of consideration from government organisations and an act of business savvy for private organisations. It takes time, effort and practice on your part.
And if it is done well, it can pay huge dividends.
If your customer can’t understand how to complete and transaction on your website, they will pick up the phone and call. Or they may just walk away.
Either way, paying someone to answer the phone or the loss of a sale will cost you much more than taking the time to get your message across in the most clear and simple way.
So keep it simple.
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