Tag Archives: point first

Building the best structure for your document

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Placing your content in the correct order makes a big impact on the effectiveness of your document.

Before designing a structure for your document:

  1. define the purpose of your document – what you want to achieve
  2. understand your readers – what they want and need

Structure follows purpose

If your purpose is to persuade or share information and your readers are likely to give you a fair hearing, then a ‘point first’ structure is often the best. (sometimes called a pyramid or telescoping structure.)

A ‘point first’ structure starts with your key point. You follow this with explanation, reasoning and detail that justifies and expands the point.

Structure for your readers

Readers find this structure easy to follow; it’s always easier to grasp an argument when you are told the conclusion first. It also allows readers to stop reading when they have had enough without missing your main point.

But if your readers are likely to resist your message, then you may need to walk them through your reasoning and research before telling them your conclusion.

Documents aimed to persuade, a business case for example, are often structured by talking about the problem or opportunity first. This highlights the motivation for change and sets the scene for your solution.

When writing procedures, consider starting with the overall aim or intent of the procedure (to give clear context and purpose) and then present the steps in chronological order.

An effective document structure is one where readers can quickly understand and use the information you provide.

When a logical structure doesn’t work

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Sometimes structuring your document in what seems to be a logical order just doesn’t work.

We all know that the traditional “scientific” report structure we learnt in school is usually not the best way to present information to an audience. Its biggest problem is that it leaves the conclusion to the end – your readers have to trawl through pages of consideration and argument before finding out what you really have to say.

So normally we’d recommend you structure a complex document by putting the big idea first. You’d then gradually start to unpack that idea by providing more detail and examples. This helps your readers by giving them a framework to understand the detail. It also gives them the option of putting aside your document when they have read enough without missing out on your most important point.

But sometimes the ‘point first’ approach is not the best way. If your readers have a particularly burning question that they are expecting you to answer, you will engage them best if you satisfy them quickly. Even if their question is at a lower level of detail than the big picture you really want to talk about, answering their question early will save them the frustration of reading material that they think is irrelevant to them. However, be sure that you present the answer in context so that they are not misled.

So how do you decide what structure to use?

You must know your readers very well and know as much as possible about the things that are important to them. You also must know clearly why you are writing – what your purpose is. Are you trying to inform, persuade or entertain?

Action

Think

  • what are you trying to achieve?
  • what does your audience already know?

Structure your document to engage your readers’ interests and move them towards your purpose.

Why good readers may not read all your text

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Just tell me what you’ve gotta tell me, clear and straight, and get to the point fast.

John Wayne (in The Sands of Iwo Jima)

Reading for purpose

Business readers read for information, not for pleasure.

They are usually busy and eager to put your document aside as soon as they can, after they have all the information they need. Often a reliable headline is all readers need.

Maximum meaning, minimum reading

In choosing not to read an entire document, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; they are reading only for information. They are eager to get information quickly and then move on.

So, don’t hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Convey as much information as possible, accurately and clearly, in as little reading as possible.

Start with the conclusion

Have your point at the beginning, and then support and explain it throughout the rest of your document it. Never make readers wonder, “What are you getting at?”. (There are some exceptions, but generally it’s unwise to place the most important information near the end.)

The lift (elevator) door statement

When really pressed, like when talking with someone while waiting for the lift door to open, we can usually condense our message to a single statement.

Find the one statement about which you could say: “It’s all right if my readers read nothing else”. That statement should appear at the beginning. It may truly be OK if the reader does read nothing else.

Leading the reader along the path

It is always easier to grasp an argument if you are told the conclusion first. Even if the reader will read every word in detail, they will understand more readily if they have the conclusion first.

Without a summary statement overview, the reader’s brain receives isolated bits of information and does not know what to do with them until the end. An overview helps the reader understand the details better. This is not so much a principle of writing as it is of learning.

This approach is different to that learnt by most of us in school. The structure we used then was usually:

  • ….. therefore
  • ….. therefore
  • conclusion.

However, readers generally find this structure much easier:

  • conclusion
  • because…..
  • because…..

 

Email: Use your subject line well

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Don’t waste the subject line in your emails – it is very valuable real estate!

The subject line is the first thing your reader will see – and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Use the subject line to highlight your main point. Structuring an email in this way is an application of the general principle of writing ‘point first’.

Writing point first orients your reader to what follows. An effective subject line can prime your readers’ minds so they engage more readily with your message.

An accurate subject line respects your readers’ time, and helps them decide whether or not they will read on immediately or leave your message for later.

How long is a paragraph?

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Paragraphs are flexible. A paragraph can be a single word, or it could be 8 sentences or more if the idea is complex.

A paragraph should contain a single idea. If you have a new idea or a shift in focus, start a new paragraph.

Write the main point in the first sentence. That guides your reader, so they know what to expect. Use the following sentences to expand or explain or illustrate that central point.

Readers are most comfortable when paragraphs average about 4-6 lines. This length provides enough space to develop an idea without overwhelming the reader or creating dense blocks of text.

But it’s also good to have some variety in both sentence and paragraph length to keep your text visually interesting and reduce reader fatigue.