<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<![endif]-->
After reading Luntz's 10 rules for effective communication I agreed with his research and all ten do apply when referring to advertising. The top three that I chose to best represent what a good business plan should include are: Rule 1- Simplicity use small words, Rule 4- Consistency Matters, and Rule 8- visualize.
Rule 1: Use Small Words
I know from personal experience when I am reading a document especially if I am rushing, if I come to a word that I do not know the meaning of I will just skip over it and keep going. Often times skipping long unknown words means you are missing the point of the sentence. If there are many of these words strewn across the document then chances are the reader's comprehension has been compromised. This is exactly what you do not want to happen in the professional world when a potential investor is reading your business plan. In the business plans that I reviewed they did a good job putting meaning into simple terms that are easier to understand. It also makes the business plan much easier to read.
Rule 4: Consistency Matter
The good professors have figured this one out in my many classes at Purdue. Humans do not have good memories and if you are only told something once chances are you are going to forget it. Actually the average learner forgets half of what they learn in the first half hour. So what this means is, repeat everything that is important more than once. In the business plans the overall vision and solution of the company is stated many times throughout the whole business plan in many ways.
Rule 8: Visualize
This is what keeps the reader intrigued and involved in what they are reading. Essentially visualizing is caused by telling a story referring back to "Made to Stick". The best business plans keep their reader engaged by telling a story and helping them visualize your vision for this business.
- Amy Baby's blog
- Login to post comments
Thank you for the fun fact. I didn't know that the average learner forgets half of what they learn in the first half hour. That seems like one of those sticky ideas. Think about any annoying commercial that is annoying because of repitition. For example: "Head on; apply directly to your forehead." These commercials are very annoying, but people remember them. Do they persuade people to buy? Probably not, but the first step is getting them to remember you. If we can apply this in our business plans, then we can have a better chance at persuading friends, business partners, or potential investors to join our venture.
I also agree with your choices and analysis. I too picked rule 1 and rule 4. I think you make a good point when you say that repetition is key. Not only is it good to repeat something, but to also repeat it in a different form if possible. This way, viewer's get to see different angles and have different ways to remember the same thing.
I agree with your comment about using simple words. The Microsoft office thesoris tool is great and dangerous at the same time. I think some writer's feel more inclined to stick a bigger unclear or even wrong word in place of a simpler smaller word with more meaning.
Guy Kawasaki's book is a great example of how to use laymen langusge and still creats meaning and significance. Business writing isn't all about pomp- it's about getting a clear message across.