Earlier this week, my wife and I finished binge-watching “Daisy Jones and the Six,” a 10-part series on a fictional rock band of the 1970s. It was entertaining but we agreed – as we usually do on these 10-part shows – it would be better in 8 parts. It would be outstanding in 6 parts.

It’s not that we are in “I need it now” mode. But most things in life – especially anything to do with communicating a message – are done most effectively in brevity.

We live in information overload. You can get lost easily in a tidal wave of messages. And the audience is confused by extra material and storylines.

In business, this mean use simple language, avoid jargon and eliminate adverbs such as “very” and “really.”

Here are five ways you can improve:

Know your critical message before you start talking or writing: The brain cannot handle too much information so know the main points that you want to make and avoid useless additions. These confuse the reader or listener.

Use simple language: There are 600,000 words in the English language, but we commonly use about 20,000 because the smaller number conveys information we share in common. Avoid jargon. Eschew (oops) cliches. Eliminate unnecessary words. This helps your audience remember your message.

Use active voice: This isn’t a grammar lesson but sentences in active voice are shorter and simpler. “I wrote the report” versus “The report was written by me.”

In speech, try to remove filler words: This is just a habit to eliminate and it is a problem for me. “Um,” “y’know,” “ah,” and “like” get in the way. If you think about what you are going to say before you say it you can get rid of these. (My worst filler is “Look.” You have my permission to punch me in the arm if I use it.) Think about the best speakers you know. They are professional and to the point with few fillers.

Practice all the time: Make concise communication a part of your daily life – whether in speaking or writing. Given enough time and practice, you will improve.

Simple communication leads to better outcomes. By using simple language, avoiding jargon, and eliminating unnecessary words, we can ensure that our message is clear, concise, and effective. So, the next time you need to communicate, remember what that somewhat obscure English playwright named Shakespeare said: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”