The headline to your story, subject line in your email or the title of the report you wrote are the first step towards engaging the reader. Fail there and you fail completely because no one will read what comes next.
If your subject line/title/headline succeeds, the next step is that opening sentence or executive summary. If better make some important points and apply to your reader, or they’ll go no further.
It’s easy to lose your reader. It can happen early in any communication or somewhere in the middle if you lose focus, meander around or bore the reader. Pay particular attention to the lead though. What should you think about when crafting the opening?
First, what’s the point you want to make? Think deeply on this, and one, two or three words should crop up. Use a strong adjective if possible to set it up.
Second, step outside the ordinary. What do I mean by this? There are a lot of people writing in the world, and chances are your subject has been covered before. For example, at work you may have to send a message to your staff that is an annual reminder, so how do you make it different? Move the words around, play with the adjectives, see if you can find a different noun, and employ the thesaurus if necessary. It’s a tool to use.
Play around with the sentence. Move words around. Cut some out. Stick a new one in. Each little step opens possibilities. This won’t take long, but it’s a good exercise, and actually will help you craft the rest of the message because your mind will be refreshed and thinking in new ways so when you get to the body of your communication, you are cruising along. That’s when it’s fun.
If your subject line/title/headline succeeds, the next step is that opening sentence or executive summary. If better make some important points and apply to your reader, or they’ll go no further.
It’s easy to lose your reader. It can happen early in any communication or somewhere in the middle if you lose focus, meander around or bore the reader. Pay particular attention to the lead though. What should you think about when crafting the opening?
First, what’s the point you want to make? Think deeply on this, and one, two or three words should crop up. Use a strong adjective if possible to set it up.
Second, step outside the ordinary. What do I mean by this? There are a lot of people writing in the world, and chances are your subject has been covered before. For example, at work you may have to send a message to your staff that is an annual reminder, so how do you make it different? Move the words around, play with the adjectives, see if you can find a different noun, and employ the thesaurus if necessary. It’s a tool to use.
Play around with the sentence. Move words around. Cut some out. Stick a new one in. Each little step opens possibilities. This won’t take long, but it’s a good exercise, and actually will help you craft the rest of the message because your mind will be refreshed and thinking in new ways so when you get to the body of your communication, you are cruising along. That’s when it’s fun.
