Answer These Questions As the First Step in Any Writing Task

Focus Sheet™ Answer these questions as the first step in any writing task.

1. Purpose A. Why am I writing this? B. What do I want the reader to do?

2. Audience A. Who is my reader? Do I have more than one? What is my reader’s role? (decision-maker, influencer, implementer, etc.) B. What does the reader know about the subject? C. How will the reader react to my main message: receptive? indifferent? resistant? D. What’s in it for the reader? Why should the reader read this or agree with it? E. How will the reader use this document? F. What cultural issues could affect this communication? ethnic? corporate? language? social?

3. Bottom Line A. If the reader were to forget everything else, what one main message do I want the reader to remember? B. So what? What is the impact of my bottom line?

4. Delivery Tactics A. Should my message be a document? How should I share it: e-mail? attachment? fax? meeting? presentation? phone? intranet? postal delivery? B. Timing: When is the most appropriate time to send my document? C. Distribution list: Are only the appropriate people on the list?

Is there anything else I need to consider?

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