So you’ve spent hours planning and writing your message and you have now “finished”. The prospect of finally relaxing is extremely appealing. However, before clicking the send button, consider this: This is YOUR message! It carries your intentions and your credibility. With that being said, here are four steps you can take in order to make your message as effective as possible:
· Revise – Make sure the information is relevant and accurate.
· Produce – The right amount of production can make your writing more appealing.
· Proof-read - Rid your message of typos and grammar errors.
· Distribute – Choose the right medium through which to send your message.
All of these are part of the third step in three-step writing process.
Revision
The information you provide must obviously be accurate and relevant. Useless information may detract from successfully communicating your intended message. Also, make sure that there is a balance of background information and specific facts so that your audience can more successfully grasp the context and reasons for your message.
Another important part of the revision process is making sure the style is adequate in your message. Be sure to put the audience’s need over your own. Use a tone that is appropriate for the subject of your message.
One more area you can focus on is readability. Make sure your message is easy to read and understand. You can do this by varying your sentence length. Sentences of similar length can sound boring to the reader. You can also do this by making paragraphs short, using bullets, and using effective headings and subheadings.
Production
The production of your message is important as well. With the right amount, production can benefit your message by making it more appealing and inviting to the reader.
Pick the right design for your message. Consistency in style is important. However, minimize distractions by showing restraint. Also, pay attention to the small details. You can also incorporate elements such as white space, fonts, styles, etc. to make your writing more inviting to reader.
Proof-reading
Far from glancing up and down the page, proof-reading should be methodical in nature. The extent to which you want to do this obviously depends on the nature of your writing. A typo in an e-mail to a co-worker may not be a big deal. A typo in a financial report to your CEO, on the other hand, may prove disastrous to your future in the organization!
Distributing
So you believe your message is finally ready to meet its audience. The last thing to do is picking the proper medium.
Consider the cost of the medium. Fancy multimedia presentations and lengthy reports can be somewhat expensive. Next, consider convenience for both you and your audience. An e-mail can be read by your audience anytime and anywhere, while a presentation requires their physical presence at a particular time. One more thing to think about is security and privacy. The threat of viruses and hackers are real and it is important to take all necessary precautions.
A more successful business
Sending an ill-conceived message can be disastrous for your business, as was the case for CEO of Cerner Corporation, Neal Patterson, in 2001. His now infamous e-mail caused his company’s stock to plummet 22 percent. [1] By using the third step in the three-step writing process, you can prevent flawed, ineffective messages like Neal Patterson's from reaching its audience before it is truly finished.
Using the third step in the three-step writing process will increase your profits by giving you high credibility, thereby making you more appealing to potential business partners and customers.
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