This week: Ask WIIFM?

Management consultant Bill Jensen wrote in his  book Simplicity, "About 80 percent of your internal communication—meetings, teleconferences, presentations, emails, etc.—consists of

• Sharing information that does not require action, and/or
• Communicating something for which there is no discernible consequence if the recipient ignores it

"In other words, a lot of communication you thought was helpful may be seen as unfocused noise or just 'FYI' junk mail by your teammates."

This week, while you plan each piece of writing, put yourself in your reader's place and ask "WIIFM?—What's In It For Me?" When you can answer that question for your reader, you'll write more effectively.

Comments

[Dwayne Phillips]

Also ask this question for me, the writer. Yes, this is a bit selfish, but hey, I am spending my time and energy doing this, so I should get something out of it as well. If nothing else, I will learn, and learning is a pretty good outcome of time.

[Danielle Ingram]

Good point,

Particularly when carrying out an online marketing campaign it is so important to write in a way that will engage the consumer in a positive way, that will have your desired effect upon them.

I totally agree, it is essential when writing to put yourself in the position of the customer.

[Mary]

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering, though, a number of years ago, when I first heard about WII-FM, the presenter also had an analogy to an AM station of some sort and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Any clues or insights on what the AM station might have been?

Thanks.

[Ken]

Thanks, Mary. I'm sorry that I've never heard the radio station analogy.