Answer these 3 questions in your introduction

Gary Bandy

08 Dec 2025 — 1 min read

Every reader of your reports has the same three questions.

What's your point?
How do you know?
Why should I care?

If your introduction doesn't signal you've got answers to all three questions, you've already lost your reader.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

What's your point?

State your main message upfront. Don't make readers hunt for it. If you're recommending a change to budget procedures, say so in the first paragraph.

How do you know?

Give readers confidence early. Mention your evidence, your analysis, or your source. You don't need details, just enough to show you're credible.

Why should I care?

Connect to what matters to your reader. Will this save money? Reduce risk? Improve compliance? Make the link explicit.

Most finance reports bury the answers to these questions. The introduction rambles through background. The main point appears on page three. The reader has to guess why it matters.

A strong introduction does the opposite. It answers all three questions in the first few paragraphs. Everything else flows from there.

Your readers are busy. They're scanning, not studying. Give them what they need up front.

Get the introduction right and the rest of your report has a fighting chance.

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