Writing the Inverted Pyramid

Traditional journalism writing uses the so-called "inverted pyramid" format. Basically, that means starting off (i.e., your "lead") with the most important information, and putting the less important stuff farther down the page. In fact, the best way to get yelled at by an editor is to "bury the lead," i.e., not leading off with the most important information.

OK, you may be thinking, that's fine for the New York Times and NBC News. But this is the era of Web sites, IMs and blogs. Is the inverted pyramid still relevant? Does it even matter anymore? Marketing guy Dean Froslie says yes:

"Gurus like Jakob Nielsen and Debbie Weil suggest using an inverted pyramid style for online content. Since web users scan for information, it makes sense to lead with your most important information."

I agree -- usually. But if you can pull it off, having a beginning, middle and ending is a pretty good way to tell a story, too. Just ask Paul Harvey, who uses them all the time in his radio broadcasts.

Good communications skills = path to the top?

Maybe that's not ALL you need, but communications skills sure do grease the rails.

Michael Hyatt of Working Smart says responsiveness is a big part of getting ahead. When someone shoots you an email, he says, respond quickly -- even if all you have time to say is, "I got your message. I'll get back to you on Thursday."

"So many people I meet are unresponsive. They don’t return their phone calls promptly. They don’t answer their emails quickly. They don’t complete their assignments on time. They promise to do something and never follow through. They have to be reminded, prodded, and nagged. This behavior creates work for everyone else and eats into their own productivity. Sadly, they seem oblivious to it."

Think about it. If people have to wait for you to get off the dime, it slows them down. Pretty soon , they start resenting you. You're perceived as an obstacle, instead of a resource. (Or maybe an ass__e instead of an asset.)

The answer: respond (i.e., communicate) in a timely fashion. That means the same day, unless there's a real reason why not.

This has certainly been my experience. In my five years running my own copywriting business, I can't tell you how many times I have simply turned in a piece on time -- and the client goes all gushy on me. They start raving about about how great it is to work with a writer who respects deadlines, etc. Makes me wonder just what those other guys are doing. As Michael says,

"People love doing business with responsive people. Nothing will advance your career faster than this."

More at Working Smart.

I'm back

Due to some serious family emergencies, a crushing workload, and the holidays, this blog kind of fell off the radar screen for a while. I'm back now, and hopefully I'll do a little better at posting. Thanks for your patience.