The value of saying little to nothing

There is elegance in the economy of words. Few words well written will inevitably convey a sense of design and authority. But hidden behind the aesthetics lies a more down-to-earth reason for you to limit your word count when you write your brand content, edit your filmed interview or prepare your Powerpoint.

The more you say the less you control what’s being heard.

Or in other words, if you keep it short you know what arrives at the other end. Let your sales people, your client managers and your charismatic CEO give the details when they’re in front of the client, media and prospects where non-verbal communication and chemistry can guide the conversation to where the business will happen.

The brain will fill in blanks and psychology will project. The whiter the canvas the wilder the imagination. The greater the quiet the greater the mystery. Have faith in rhetorical branding pauses and white space on the page. It will refresh your client’s brand experience.

A courageous initiative has moved brands to remove their logo for two months at London’s Selfridges department store. The goal was to provide a quiet shopping experience for customers used to the noisy brand environment at shops like these. Brands in the most aggressive segments realise the importance of a branding break.

“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Blaise Pascal understood the challenge that simplicity and concision represent. When you do decide to cut through the mist and shorten your text, know that you must invest brain power and strategy.

It will require better writers, speakers and designers to make every word count. The room left for silence and space counts double.

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