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Clear communicators aren't lucky. They have a system.
Here's an uncomfortable truth: your readers give you about 26 seconds.
Smart Brevity is the methodology born in the Axios newsroom — rooted in deep respect for people's time and attention. It works just as well for internal comms, executive updates, and change management as it does for news.
We've bundled six free resources — checklists, workbooks, and more — so you can start applying it immediately.
The goal isn't shorter. It's clearer. And clearer gets results.
Reflection and Synthesis: Turn Conversations Into Commitments
You've asked great questions. Uncovered real problems. Built rapport.
But has your prospect internalized any of it?
Your Framework:
Don't rush from discovery to pitch. Create pause points where prospects synthesize their own thinking through reflection questions:
"Based on everything we've discussed, what seems most important to address first?"
"What's becoming clear to you about your situation?"
"How are you thinking about this differently than when we started?"
"What stands out as the biggest priority now?"
"Where do you see the most urgent need for change?"
"What insights are you taking from this conversation?"
These aren't trick questions—they're thinking questions. Give them space to process and articulate.
Why This Works:
People don't commit to what they hear—they commit to what they conclude. Reflection questions force prospects to organize scattered thoughts into clear insights.
When they verbalize their own synthesis, they own it. "We need to fix our onboarding process" hits differently when they say it versus when you suggest it.
These moments also expose misalignment before you invest in proposals. If their synthesis misses the mark, you know immediately and can realign.
Action Step:
Build synthesis checkpoints into your conversations. After discovery, after demos, before proposals—ask one reflection question and listen without interrupting.
The insights they voice become the commitments they keep.