Take Action Now	First Things First From Press Release To Speech: Create, Then Communicate Put your most important statement up-front at the beginning of your communication. Don’t bury it somewhere in the middle! If you can grasp this one ridiculously simple journalistic principle, the impact of all your future communications will skyrocket. Here’s how it works. In journalism, we’re told to create a press release using a pyramid structure of organization. Because media print space is precious, and the editor could run out of room at any point and cut you off, make your most important point first—at the top of the pyramid, your second most important point next, and so on, working your way down your message pyramid. You don’t want to see your secondary points in print, while your main point gets cut off! The more you think about this simple principle, the more it begins to make sense in any communication you make—written or spoken. Every communication you make will be reviewed by the most important editor—your intended audience. People’s attention span is usually pretty limited. At some point, your listener’s attention is gone, and you get cut off. Your press space just ran out! So, put your most important point up-front at the beginning, while your listener is most present with you. Why do people begin by rambling, and only later, when nobody is listening, make their key points? It’s because we create and we communicate differently. It might help to separate the creation and the communication processes. Our creative thinking process is often organized as an upside-down pyramid beginning with an insignificant thought and logically working its way up to the important issue. When you’re done creating, shift gears, flip the pyramid, and begin communicating. Go back and find your key point. It will be buried somewhere in the middle of your message. I can almost guarantee it. Pull your key point out, and put it up front in your message, where it will shine out and speak to your listener while you’ve got their highest level of attention. Create, then communicate. This one simple two-step procedure will cause the impact of every one of your messages to skyrocket. To your success and significance, David Smith, President, www.SuddenlyInSite.com P.S. Forward this article to a business associate. They can register to receive this free Marketing tips e-zine at www.SuddenlyInSite.com I appreciate your comments: davidsmith@definewrite.com ********************** Contact me to arrange a quick, but very effective marketing assessment. Benefits to your business: A more compelling image in the marketplace More business contacts and clients Greater conversion of contacts to clients Creative packaging of your current products and services Discovery of new market opportunities Greater clarity of your marketing goals and process More influence for your team (internal marketing within your corporation) Includes two consultations and a one-page outline marketing assessment. David Smith (503) 816-9665 davidsmith@definewrite.com ********************************** Try email marketing. It's fast, easy and inexpensive so you can communicate with your market audience on a regular basis and stay "top of mind" to them. I use iContact. It has all the features you need: Contact management, ability to create and format emails, blogs and RSS feeds, autoresponders for series, a sign-up form for your Web site, excellent training in how to use the tool and more. Please take a look at this powerful tool. It is central to a successful email marketing program. Don't try to patch your email marketing together with Outlook or some other less powerful program. It simply won't work.
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First Things First

From Press Release To Speech: Create, Then Communicate

Put your most important statement up-front at the beginning of your communication. Don’t bury it somewhere in the middle! If you can grasp this one ridiculously simple journalistic principle, the impact of all your future communications will skyrocket.

Here’s how it works. In journalism, we’re told to create a press release using a pyramid structure of organization. Because media print space is precious, and the editor could run out of room at any point and cut you off, make your most important point first—at the top of the pyramid, your second most important point next, and so on, working your way down your message pyramid. You don’t want to see your secondary points in print, while your main point gets cut off!

The more you think about this simple principle, the more it begins to make sense in any communication you make—written or spoken. Every communication you make will be reviewed by the most important editor—your intended audience. People’s attention span is usually pretty limited. At some point, your listener’s attention is gone, and you get cut off. Your press space just ran out! So, put your most important point up-front at the beginning, while your listener is most present with you.

Why do people begin by rambling, and only later, when nobody is listening, make their key points? It’s because we create and we communicate differently. It might help to separate the creation and the communication processes. Our creative thinking process is often organized as an upside-down pyramid beginning with an insignificant thought and logically working its way up to the important issue.

When you’re done creating, shift gears, flip the pyramid, and begin communicating. Go back and find your key point. It will be buried somewhere in the middle of your message. I can almost guarantee it. Pull your key point out, and put it up front in your message, where it will shine out and speak to your listener while you’ve got their highest level of attention.

Create, then communicate. This one simple two-step procedure will cause the impact of every one of your messages to skyrocket.

To your success and significance,

David Smith, President, www.SuddenlyInSite.com

P.S. Forward this article to a business associate. They can register to receive this free Marketing tips e-zine at www.SuddenlyInSite.com

I appreciate your comments: davidsmith@definewrite.com

************************

Contact me to arrange a quick, but very effective marketing assessment. Benefits to your business:

A more compelling image in the marketplace
More business contacts and clients
Greater conversion of contacts to clients
Creative packaging of your current products and services
Discovery of new market opportunities
Greater clarity of your marketing goals and process
More influence for your team (internal marketing within your corporation)

Includes two consultations and a one-page outline marketing assessment.

David Smith (503) 816-9665 davidsmith@definewrite.com

************************************

Try email marketing. It's fast, easy and inexpensive so you can communicate with your market audience on a regular basis and stay "top of mind" to them. I use iContact. It has all the features you need:

Contact management, ability to create and format emails, blogs and RSS feeds, autoresponders for series, a sign-up form for your Web site, excellent training in how to use the tool and more.

Please take a look at this powerful tool. It is central to a successful email marketing program. Don't try to patch your email marketing together with Outlook or some other less powerful program. It simply won't work.