Clear and concise communication is the key to success.

Far too many people take 5 minutes to say something that could be said in 30 seconds. DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.

Every email you write should include bullet points, be no more than 200 words, and be made shorter before hitting the send button. Do I need this word? Do I need this sentence? 

The same goes for speaking. Do you need to repeat yourself? Often the answer is yes. But too many people share too many non-critical details about things.

Nobody cares to get the 5-minute story when you could tell it in 15 seconds. Nobody cares about your high school days or what you did last weekend.

Your employees will lose interest, zone out, and miss critical points. Humans are terrible listeners with short attention spans. Tell them what they need to hear, and then stop talking.

Crisp. Concise. Clear.

Remember my step-by-step sales approach to creating leverage and generating scarcity? I can often do all of that in 3 minutes. I am not wordy. I am crisp, concise, and straightforward.

Since most communication is done by written word in email, text messages, or Slack, it is critical you master this aspect of communication, too.

I would go as far as to say that excellent writing is the key to success in this world. 

Not just excellent writing. But clear and concise writing.

The goal of your writing should be to get your point across as simply and succinctly as possible. No extra words. No possibility for confusion. Just clear and to-the-point written communication.

How do you improve?

You practice. You write clearly. You add a lot of bullets and formatting to your emails. You spend time taking out words that aren't necessary and sentences that aren't needed.

It starts with an email. No email you send should be longer than 200 words. Ever. If it is, send two emails with two different subject lines. People do not read walls of text.

Next time you draft an email, before you hit send, do this:

Read through it line by line and spend 10 minutes taking words and sentences out. It takes practice. This is a form of training. Be brutally honest with yourself and get better.

Let me start with a tip that has saved me $100k+ over the last five years in the real estate business:

Follow up every important meeting or phone call with a clear and succinct email outlining expectations.

You'd be amazed how much confusion exists just hours later. Don't wait six months to get on the same page. When people are on the phone, they spend most of their time thinking about what they will say next and not enough time listening to what you are saying.

You must get their attention, keep it simple and follow up with an email when it's over. That is how you effectively communicate.

Note: At no point in time is this more critical than making capital improvements and working with vendors and contractors. Every. Little. Thing. Must. Be. In. Writing. Or you're going to be on the hook when something gets messed up.