Checking and improving the message

Here is a checklist to help you construct an effective message. Remember that a message, by definition, is a piece of information targeted at a specific person or group for a specific reason.

An effective message:

• expresses your purpose;
• makes a single point;
• must be a sentence;
• should contain about 15-20 words;
• is focussed on action;
• is interesting to the reader;
• is written in familiar terms;
• provides new information;
• provokes a question in the reader's mind.