|
April 16, 2007
Jump-start your writing to grab your audience's attention
You spent hours drafting the piece and thought it was the best you ever wrote. So why didn't employees read it? Most likely, it was because they were overwhelmed by countless other communications. Whether your message is delivered in a newsletter, via e-mail or on a plasma screen in the lobby, if it doesn't grab employees' attention immediately, it will be passed over.
High concepts
Today's employees are so busy, they don't have time to figure out complex communications. That means your messages need to be clear and easy to digest. The next time you need to write an attention-grabbing message for your employees, try borrowing a technique used in the movie industry: the high concept.
A high concept succinctly states the premise of a film. For instance, see if you can guess what classic 1990s comedy is described by this high concept: "A tough cop goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher to nab a drug dealer." (Click for answer) Did images of Arnold Schwarzenegger come immediately to mind?
Screenwriters use high concepts to sell movie ideas to executives who have little patience or time to hear a long-winded pitch. They are also used in marketing materials: movie posters, trailers, entertainment magazines and newspapers. In a single sentence, a high concept can provide just enough detail to entice moviegoers to plunk down $10 at the local Cineplex.
The value of a high concept is found in its brevity. It expresses a big idea in short order. That's why borrowing this technique for your communication can help employees understand the salient point of your message and lure them in to read it in its entirety.
Follow these three steps to develop your own high concept:
- Determine the desired outcome of your communication. What is the one thing you want the audience to know, do or believe as a result of your message?
- Connect your message to your audience's needs. Employees want to know “what does this mean to me?” How does your message personally benefit or impact them?
- Link the desired outcome to the audience's needs. Concisely state the objective of the message in one sentence. The shorter the better, so try to use no more than 12 words.
Once you have the high concept, it can be utilized in a variety of communication vehicles to pique the reader's interest. For example, adopt it for: - A headline in your newsletter or on your intranet
- The subject line of an e-mail
- A lead sentence
|
