Page 47 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

36 TODAY’S BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

• Tables and figures
• ALL CAPS
• Headings and subheadings.

We offer one note of caution, however. Too much bold, too many italics,
or too many underlined words will detract from readability. Think about
the childhood story of the boy who cried wolf. He cried wolf so often
that no one believed him when the wolf was truly there. The same thing
works for using different font styles. Likewise, think about the person
who writes emails in ALL CAPS. We call that “screaming.” So, if you use
ALL CAPS too often, your reader stops attaching importance to what you
are calling attention to as being important.

Tips for Helping Others Remember Information

Organize Your Thoughts

Think about how you organize the information that you present to peo-
ple. It is easier for readers to remember information that is organized
appropriately.

Put Information Into Chunks

Readers have an easier time remembering small pieces of information.
When you must present large volumes of information or long lists of
information to readers, find natural ways to organize and chunk the infor-
mation. Information that is chunked is easier for our readers to store in
their short-term and long-term memory. Your reader will thank you for it.
5
To drive home these points about information retention, you can play
a little game that we play with our students. Ask a friend to look at the
list of words in Figure 3.6. Give your friend 30 seconds to review the list
and memorize the words. Take the list away at the end of 30 seconds.
Before you let your friend tell you the words that he or she remembers,
ask him or her an engaging question about another topic. For example,
you can ask his or her opinion about a recent sporting event. After a very
brief discussion, ask the friend to tell you all of the words that he or she
remembers.