Writing For Busy Readers with Todd Rogers

Jun 4, 2025

Todd Rogers, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and behavioral scientist, shares insights from his book, 'Writing for Busy Readers'. He discusses the psychology of skimming and offers six actionable writing principles to enhance clarity and engagement. Listeners will learn about using AI tools to refine their messages and the benefits of concise writing in nonprofit communication. Rogers also highlights successful strategies that simplify complex ideas, ensuring vital information reaches busy audiences without being oversimplified.

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ANECDOTE

Overwhelmed by Busy Communications

Julia Campbell shares the overwhelming experience of receiving too many communications as a school board member and busy parent.
She uses ChatGPT to summarize long emails and extract key points quickly.

ADVICE

Less Is More Principle

Write shorter messages by cutting unnecessary words and ideas to respect readers' limited attention.
Experiments show concise emails significantly increase response rates compared to longer, deferential versions.

ADVICE

Prioritize Single Requests

Apply "less is more" in three ways: fewer ideas, fewer words, and fewer requests per message.
Multiple requests decrease the chance anyone will take action; prioritize the most important one.

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Everyone is busy. Whether it’s emails, reports, or social media, most people skim rather than read in depth. So how can we write in a way that ensures our message gets through?

In this episode, we’re joined by Todd Rogers, a Harvard Kennedy School professor, behavioral scientist, and author of Writing for Busy Readers. Todd shares the cognitive science behind effective communication and offers six actionable principles to help nonprofit professionals, educators, and leaders write clearly and concisely.

We also explore:
✅ The psychology behind why people skim instead of read
✅ A simple checklist to make writing more engaging and effective
✅ A free AI tool that helps writers refine their messages
✅ How nonprofits can apply these strategies without oversimplifying complex ideas

If you’ve ever struggled with getting your emails read, crafting compelling donor messages, or writing reports that don’t get ignored—this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned:

Todd Rogers’ Book: Writing for Busy Readers
Free AI email editing tool: Writing for Busy Readers AI
Todd Rogers’ research homepage: Harvard Kennedy School

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