Make your first 120 words count

GB

27 Jul 2023

<img src="https://articulateaccountant.micro.blog/uploads/2024/bfc627cdfa.jpg" width="535" height="600" alt> People spend average of 26 seconds reading a piece of content. That means you’ve got about 120 words to get your message across and/or make someone decide to read more. - This applies to emails, memos, reports, slack messages, everything you write at work. It’s demoralising that despite the effort you put into a major report the reader will skim it. Most of your words won’t be read. Embrace that. Write and format your reports (and everything else) to reward the skimming reader. - Put your **main message at the top**. The very top. - Use **short words** and sentences. - Make the **key words** stand out.

Do your numbers help your readers or confuse them?

If you’re an auditor or accountant, numbers are everywhere in your writing. But it’s not just about choosing between “5” or “five.” Being clear, consistent, and smart about how you use numbers can make a big difference in how your message lands. If your numbers aren’t clear,

Quick win: One sentence that saves everyone time

Get the first page right

The way people read has changed and so should the way we write. When newspapers first went online, journalists wrote articles in the same way they always had. This meant articles were often split across several webpages with a button at the bottom of each page to go to the

Make your first 120 words count

GB

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Do your numbers help your readers or confuse them?

Quick win: One sentence that saves everyone time

Get the first page right

A new name — same focus on writing that works