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. 

See More InCredible Messages Articles or visit InCredible Messages Blog

Golden Rule Attracts Customer’s Attention

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

In a world of information overload, every document competes for attention. Unfortunately, readers don’t decide whether to read, toss, or delete based on the author’s competence or creativity. The reader’s choice is based, in part, on an unconscious response to the attractiveness and accessibility of the page.

Attractive, concise materials have the best chance of capturing and keeping the reader’s attention. This sounds simple, but concise materials are far from simple to write. A famous author quipped, “Excuse the long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

Most of us prefer to read simple, crisp words, but we feel obligated to write impressive words. Counter the illogical urge by remembering the words of Jesus, “Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you.” This is the spirit of the Incredible Messages golden rule: Never use a twenty dollar word for a nickel concept.

If a normal, straightforward “nickel” word will get the idea across, resist the temptation to choose a pretentious “twenty dollar” word. After all, which of the following would you rather read?

Option 1: Our establishment has undertaken the provision of alternatives to enhance the effectiveness of your regularly scheduled task management.

Option 2: Our firm offers services to make your daily tasks easier.

Consistently write sentences like the example in option 2. You’ll increase your chances of attracting and keeping internal and external customers’ attention.
 

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 . 

Return to Top