Make Your Business Writing Twice as Good With This Simple Trick…
You can double the power and clarity of your business communications simply by stating your primary message earlier.
When business writing is bad, it's usually because it's:
· too complicated
· too confusing
· too vague
· unconvincing
All of these common problems can be overcome by developing a straightforward thesis stated very early in the copy.
Early stating of your main point lets your readers know exactly what you're talking about and why they should keep reading. If your thesis is strong (i.e., the idea is useful to the audience), it'll have immediate appeal to your readers and is more likely to motivate them to read the rest of what you have to say with increased attention.
How soon is soon? That depends on how long the piece of writing is. The shorter the copy, the sooner you need to use your thesis sentence.
Here's a rough guideline…
· for copy that's 500 words or fewer, make your first sentence the thesis sentence
· for copy between 500 words and 1,500 words, state the thesis in the first paragraph
· for copy over 1,500 words, state the thesis within the first page
· there's no copy, whatever the length, that justifies a thesis statement made later than the first page
Consider that this article is less than 500 words, and the key point was stated in the first sentence. Imagine if it had begun with the second sentence ("When business writing is bad …"). Can you see how it would be weaker…less "attractive."
And that's worth thinking about…
Award Winning Marketing Expert | Marketing Consultant | Strategy & Planning I Founder at Vicky White Communications & Appetite (Restaurant Marketing) - Celebrating 12 years in Business I COCO Women Founders Leader
3 年Some great points Kim and much to think about. I agree, you have to catch their attention at the beginning, you also have to carry out the research before hand and look at things like - what are my customers asking, what are their challenges and what topics are trending!
Let’s grow! …with Events & launches | High-impact event strategy, marketing & management | For more footfall + community engagement + conversion = Increased ROI ?? Host of The Marketing Meetup Reading
3 年You typically have just 3 seconds to grab the attention of your reader, so the headline and a thesis sentence as you say needs to hit the spot straight away! Make it count. Great tip
Agency Business Guide helping Marketing Agency owners navigate the ups and downs of the journey of running an agency business. ??BIMA100 & BIMA100 Judge/ Father / Cyclist and Co-Foounder of Agency Aid
3 年Kim we are turning into a nation of storytellers! Writing with stories can be so powerful
Retired
3 年Kim Wilcox Great post. I think your suggestion of getting your message out first applies to many things, including emails, mailing as well as presentations. We're taught to write stories with a start, beginning and end. Yet, sometimes you should start with the end and then use everything else to justify your position.
We are experts in helping your stone surfaces endure elegantly.
3 年Thank you for the advice, Kim! You are absolutely right. Such a simple trick, but completely necessary to create good copy.