Colorful details make a great lead
What’s the most fascinating detail you uncovered in your research?
That’s your lead.
Here’s how it works in six employee newsletter stories:
Compression of details
Compression of details is where you choose a series of details from your research — usually three items — then string them together into a single paragraph. Here’s one, from a story about a company’s annual employee awards recipients:
“They sealed deals, slashed costs and otherwise went above and beyond to support the NIS charter and the Sprint ION initiative.
“Five employees exceeded expectations and actively pursued excellence to earn the first Sprint Values Excellence Annual Distinguished Contribution Award at NIS.
“We present our annual recognition award to employees who have helped us realize Sprint’s goals and vision. Here are some highlights of their achievements …”
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Sell your ideas with colorful details
The example proves the point
Call it “The Vividness Effect.” It’s been proven in the lab again and again: Colorful details communicate better than dry, abstract information.
Colorful details are more likely to engage readers. People are more likely to understand and remember vivid details than dry abstractions. One study even showed that colorful details like Darth Vader toothbrushes can change people’s minds.
At Master the Art of the Storyteller — a two-day creative writing Master Class on Feb. 23-24 in Phoenix — you’ll learn how to add color to even the most tedious topics. You’ll find out how to avoid getting stuck on the boring middle rungs of the abstraction ladder, how to help people see your point with six colorful elements and how to test your message to make sure you’re not losing readers in the middle.
This is our only creative writing workshop of 2016 — and your only chance to learn to write messages that paint pictures in your readers’ minds so they understand your points faster, enjoy your message more and remember it longer.
Don’t miss out. Register now.
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Polish your skills at our 2016 Master Classes
Learn to Catch Your Readers, Get Clicked, Cut Through the Clutter and more
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