Start with a purpose
Any business related document should start with a purpose. Unless the purpose of the document is not entirely, 100% clear, don't put any effort into the creation process. The typical archetypes of purposes of most business documents can be summarized into three categories:
1. create deeper insight into a subject matter,
2. trigger some decision,
3. trigger some action.
Once you are clear on the purpose part, you're free to start into the creation process.
Structure your creation process
There are certainly myriads of ways and methodologies to create business documents. Chances are you will develop your own approach along with your own style and flavour to create business related documents eventually, once you have sufficient experience. However, as long as you have not created a ton of great ones, a standard framework is a great way to start off and to acquire some practice. In my career I have created more than more than 10.000 slides and hundreds of proposals, analyses, concepts, white papers, business blueprints, roadmaps, plans and other types of business related documents. I found that the best and most universal methodology for any type of business related document creation is a pyramidal structure, created by Barbara Minto.
How pyramids are built
The benefit of a pyramidal structure will impact the creator as well as the recipient. It will help to optimize the effort to create and to consume the document. Furthermore it reduces the risk of transporting wrong or inadequate information to the recipient by its inbuilt flexibility in focus and detail.
In a pyramidal structure the most important messages are found at the very top. This has two major benefits:
First, on consuming the content the reader will gain an immediate overview over the key message, instead of having to consume the entire document and all the details from the beginning to the end. This also means the recipient will have a freedom of choice to consume more -or less- information. She will be able to dive deeper on demand into those specific topics she is most interested in.
Second, the structure of a pyramid will force you into a very lean and clear structure. You will have to adhere to a certain logic, which will benefit you in the efficiency of your creation process. But this logic and structure will also make it easier for the reader to understand your chain of thought across the entire document.
Communicate with impact
The most awesome fact about the pyramidal structure is that it is an entirely versatile methodology you can pretty much apply it to any kind of communication. Try it out: Apply it in the next email to your colleague/boss/customer/supplier. State your concern in the subject of the email. The limited space will force you to state the essence of your message short and crisp. Give only the necessary information and get right to the point.
Finish with a call to arms about what you think should happen next, e.g.
- 'please give me the three most popular configuration options', or
- 'give me more information on product functions', or
- 'let me know your decision on the shipping method', etc..
Now it's your turn: identify the next opportunity where you can apply a pyramidal structure and go ahead. Apply the pyramidal structure in your next email, presentation, paper, briefing or team meeting. Bonus level: Eventually ask the recipient for feedback. Did she noticed any difference in your communication and how he felt about it. How did you feel about it?
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