Apr 23 2008
Be Complete
There are many ways to be incomplete in your writing, ranging from unintentionally leaving out needed information to intentionally omitting important information.
What’s missing in the following statements?
Gary has requested a meeting at the Draper office this Thursday, April 15, for all sales reps. Bring last quarter’s reports.
The omission here is obvious: what time is the meeting? Try this one:
Our new pain reliever has been clinically tested to be effective on 89 percent of patients.
This message is incomplete in a dangerous way: The company did not want to admit that the other 11 percent of the patients who tried the pain reliever died.
One common and damaging mistake business writers make is forgetting to include a call to action. A call to action is any instruction that tells the readers what the writer wants them to do, such as “Call 1-800-100-1000 to place your order today!” All written pieces that have a persuasive purpose are incomplete without a call to action.
What’s wrong with the following offer?
We’re offering all employees a free coupon good for $20 off any dinner for two at Le Bistro Restaurant in the Midtown Mall. The coupon is good any day of the week from 6 p.m. to midnight. There is no expiration date. Don’t miss this free employee benefit!
Right. It’s incomplete – it doesn’t contain a call to action. It leaves the employees wondering how to get the coupons.
While we’re on the subject, make sure your call to action is clear, easy to follow and hard to miss. Don’t confuse your readers. Don’t make them jump through hoops to do what you want them to do. And don’t make them have to hunt for the call to action. Make it hard to miss and easy to figure out and do. If you don’t, they’ll likely give up and your piece will be wasted.
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