Permission is given to reprint the following articles, provided that the following contact information is provided in its entirety. 

© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
Visit  www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com. 

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Use a One-Sentence Paragraph to Sell Your Idea

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

Chances are a teacher told you a one-sentence paragraph is against grammatical rules.  Don’t worry, you aren’t in school anymore, and professional copywriters use one-sentence paragraphs routinely.

If used strategically, a one sentence paragraph can highlight your key point or help sell your idea.

The white space surrounding a single sentence works like a frame, drawing the reader’s eye to the content inside.  It creates a point of emphasis.  Be sure to use your point of emphasis strategically. 

One way is to begin with a benefit or a fact that is important to the reader.  Standing alone, the statement becomes bold and stark.  For example, here is a good stand-alone opening sentence:  Women business owners, holding one of four private businesses in our area, represent a tremendous opportunity.

Another way to use a one-sentence paragraph is to highlight a key point, as I did early in this article.  As a general rule, use longer paragraphs to give background information, and use shorter paragraphs to state key points and recommendations.

Caution:  Since a one-sentence paragraph is a point of emphasis, use the technique sparingly.  Otherwise, the reader’s eye gets confused, and the emphasis turns into visual clutter.

A one-sentence paragraph might just be the ticket to sell or highlight your idea.  Go ahead and defy your grammar teacher.  You’re a professional now!

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2008 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

Imagine yourself in a situation in which one professional shows you how to incorporate the insights of three perspectives into your business communication:  marketing, persuasion, and visual design. 

Imagine an interactive session with an entertaining and inspiring speaker.  Do you like what you see?  You’ve just envisioned working with Bonnie Budzowski, President of inCredible Messages, LP.

Contact Bonnie to learn more about how she can guide you and your team to create compelling business messages or call 412-828-1629 . 

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