- To inform: “To make an apple pie, you’ll need 3 pounds of apples.”
- To entertain: “I’m Rachael Ray and today I’m going to show you 3 ways to prepare your apples for your next apple pie.”
- To persuade: “Honeycrisp apples work best in an apple pie because they are extra crisp and hold firm after baking.”
But no matter the goal, the words you choose influence how your message is received and whether your audience will take your desired action (be informed, entertained, or persuaded).
Gut check! Before you can choose the right words to motivate your audience, you need to understand what will motivate them. Get started with these 4 ways to get to know your audience
In fact, swapping just one word or phrase can drastically change your message’s impact.
Don’t believe us? Check out these re-imagined famous quotes. Would these be as memorable? As motivating? As transcendent?
Here are five tips to choose the perfect words that will clearly communicate your message, keep your audience engaged, and lead to your desired action.
1. Delete “very.”
It is not very important that your staff log out of their computers when they leave their desks. It is imperative.
You will not turn around the project very quickly. You will complete it rapidly.
2. Keep it simple.
Simple words and phrases make it easier for your audience to digest what you're trying to communicate. Check out this quick tip on avoiding wordy phrases.
3. Choose words that inspire.
President Kennedy saw that Americans would be more likely to want to help their country than their government.
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. knew that dreams are more powerful than ideas.
“I have a dream that one day…”
And Eleanor Roosevelt realized that feeling inferior is worse than feeling ignored.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
4. Don’t make assumptions.
Businesses love acronyms. Digging through an alphabet soup of USPs, SQLs, and IOUs can overwhelm your long-term employees and totally bury your new team members. If you must use acronyms or other insider language, define the term the first time it’s used in the document or presentation.
Don’t miss these 5 tips to avoid miscommunication in the workplace.
5. Grab your thesaurus.
Whether you pick up a dusty copy from the thrift store or use an online tool, a thesaurus can direct you to thebest, optimum, perfect word for your message and your audience.
But don’t forget to write at a middle-school reading level! There are already enough barriers for people to consume your message. Complicated sentences and oversized words muddle your message. The best way to sound smart is by being clear.
It is not very important that your staff log out of their computers when they leave their desks. It is imperative.
You will not turn around the project very quickly. You will complete it rapidly.
2. Keep it simple.
Simple words and phrases make it easier for your audience to digest what you're trying to communicate. Check out this quick tip on avoiding wordy phrases.
3. Choose words that inspire.
President Kennedy saw that Americans would be more likely to want to help their country than their government.
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. knew that dreams are more powerful than ideas.
“I have a dream that one day…”
And Eleanor Roosevelt realized that feeling inferior is worse than feeling ignored.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
4. Don’t make assumptions.
Businesses love acronyms. Digging through an alphabet soup of USPs, SQLs, and IOUs can overwhelm your long-term employees and totally bury your new team members. If you must use acronyms or other insider language, define the term the first time it’s used in the document or presentation.
Don’t miss these 5 tips to avoid miscommunication in the workplace.
5. Grab your thesaurus.
Whether you pick up a dusty copy from the thrift store or use an online tool, a thesaurus can direct you to the
But don’t forget to write at a middle-school reading level! There are already enough barriers for people to consume your message. Complicated sentences and oversized words muddle your message. The best way to sound smart is by being clear.
Wouldn't it be great if you could simply order words and they would work perfectly?
If your team needs help choosing the right words for their presentations or documents, reach out to Hurley Write.
Conveying ideas doesn’t have to be hard. Our courses in business writing, technical writing, scientific writing, presentations, and more, are designed to ensure your team has the skills they need to be efficient and effective communicators.