Today I am starting a ten-part series called “The Pitfalls of Writing in Everyday Life,” based on “Ten Report Writing Pitfalls: How to Avoid Them” by Vincent Vinci (1975). This article was initially published, I just recently discovered, by a company that employed me right out of college, Chemical Week Associates (they publish Chemical Week Magazine, among other things, and I worked there from 1992-1993 as an editorial assistant). I discovered the article in Strategies for Business and Technical Writing, edited by Kevin J. Harty (2008). I’d always felt a fondness for this piece – it’s by far my favorite in the book – and when I discovered its origins, I knew immediately that I was doing exactly the right thing by starting this series. Mr. Vinci, wherever you are now, thank you for your insights. They’ve inspired close to 1000 students already, and I’m sure there are more to come!

Now, on with the first installment…

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times, “Ignoring Your Audience” is number one for a very important reason: you cannot write well if you don’t understand what your audience wants and needs to hear. Mr. Vinci says that a report “is usually directed to a specific person or group, and has a specific purpose,” which is great news, especially if you struggle with writing (as I do). Why? Because there are at least three things that WON’T happen to you if you analyze and understand your audience before you write, such as:

1. Writing nothing at all (aka, Writer’s Block).
2. Writing too little (arrrg, how hard could it be to write just 1500 words?).
3. Writing too much (arrrg, how hard could it be to write just 1500 words?).

The trick to writing just what is needed, no more, no less, with no worries, is to know your audience.  But how, you may ask, does one find out about the audience for a specific report/paper/memo/email? There are two steps:

1. Research
2. Analysis

To accomplish number 1, fire up your browser, ask your co-workers, speak with the reader – do whatever it takes to understand who will read your piece and how they’ll be using the information you’re providing. It also helps to understand why this person needs the information requested. Start with her function in your business (or at your university, or in your club), but don’t stop there. Vinci points out the importance not only of understanding the current position of the person, but, if you can, finding out the route she took to get there. As an example, Vinci writes, “The president of a company who climbed the marketing ladder selling solvents will think better in marketing terms.” Therefore, if the president of this solvent company is your audience, you can begin thinking, before the first word, about what a person steeped in marketing might need to hear to agree with your assessment, or understand your product specifications.  And now you’re on step 2, analysis. It is this step that will make writing the actual report 10 times easier. No. Really. At least 10.

Make a list. Vinci says, “place a sheet of paper in front of you….on the paper have written in bold letters WHO, WHY and HOW.” Under the “who” heading, list, if you know it, the name of the person who will receive your report.  If you don’t have a name, list the group of people who will benefit most from your report in that space. Next, write the position your audience occupies (boss, chemistry professors, sales force, the managing editor of the New York Times), and all you’ve been able to find out about how they arrived at their positions, as well as what they know and don’t know about your project. Under the “why”  heading, write down the reason(s) you’ve been asked to write the report – why you? why this information? why in this format? Ask your boss or teacher to clarify if you don’t know. Once you've answered all these questions, it's time to analyze your answers to arrive at the “how.” Look carefully at the information in your “who” and “why” columns, then jot down in the how column the ways your audience expects to receive your project. Your analysis of the who and why should answer the following questions:

• What terms or jargon are appropriate? After all, those PhD’s in chemistry will surly understand what the primary ions of electrolytes are, but your typical middle manager at FedEx may not.
• Should your writing be at a 6th grade level, an 8th grade level, or does it need to be more sophisticated?
  
• What absolutely must be included in your report, and what can you afford to leave out?
  

Once you have all this information, you’re ready to write your report. Go ahead, try it! The report will practically write itself, because you know who will receive the information, why they want it, and the vocabulary and format you need to use to ensure they get everything they expect.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too… being able to fully understand your audience will also make your writing much more persuasive, "but that's another story and shall be told another time!" (The Neverending Story)

Have you used a tool like “who/why/how” before? Share your “Ignoring your audience” stories – what happened when you wrote without considering your audience? The best comment gets a free copy of Strategies for Business and Technical Writing (6th Ed, 2008).