The Mathematics of Persuasive Communication by Philip Yaffe

At first glance mathematics and persuasive communication ? writing, and particularly public speaking - appears to be to have little in keeping. After all, mathematics is definitely an objective science, whilst speaking involves voice quality, inflection, his full attention, personality, body gestures, and also other subjective components.



However, beneath the surface they're very similar.



Above anything else, the achievements an oral presentation depends on the precision of its structure. Mathematics is focused on precision. It is therefore not odd to consider that applying some of the concepts of mathematics to oral presentations will make them substantially far better.



As they are saying in the film industry, three important aspects go into setting up a successful movie: the script, the script, and also the script. Likewise, three important aspects go into building a successful speech: mouse click the up coming article structure, the structure, and the structure.



Not convinced? Then let's move on with something less radical.



I think we could all agree that good speaking is related to get affordable writing. If it is possible to write an excellent text, you happen to be well on your way to preparing an excellent oral presentation. Therefore, if you improve your writing, you will also increase your speaking.



To simplify matters, to any extent further we will talk mainly about good writing, because typically the same ideas apply straight to good speaking.



Know your work



Many commercial companies tend not to live up to their potential - and sometimes even go bankrupt - simply because they fail to correctly define the business these are in.



Perfume companies, for instance, usually do not sell fragrant liquids, but love, romance, seductiveness, self-esteem, etc. Bio-food companies usually do not sell organic produce, but rather honesty, purity, nature, etc. Automobile manufacturers usually do not sell transportation, but rather freedom, adventure, spontaneity, prestige, etc. The fact is, each industry, even every individual product, may need to determine what it can be truly about - there are thousands of them!



Writers are lucky. There are numerous variations to what we do, but you'll find really only two fundamental kinds of writing. It is vital to recognise this, because they're not only quite different, in most respects they are exactly opposite. So unless we clearly recognise which kind of writing were doing - and just how it differs from the other one - we're going to almost certainly commit serious errors.



What include the two types? And how will they differ?



Creative Writing



Texts such as short stories, novels, poems, radio plays, stage plays, television scripts, film scripts, etc.



The fundamental intent behind creative writing is to amuse and entertain. Expository Writing



Texts including memos, reports, proposals, training manuals, newsletters, research papers, etc.



The fundamental intent behind expository writing is usually to instruct and inform.



Essential attitude towards expository writing



Because the objectives of creative and expository writing are extremely different, before striking a vital you must adopt the appropriate attitude for the type of writing you are doing.



Creative writing attitude



Everyone would like to read want what you will be going to write.



After all, who doesn't want to get amused and entertained?



Expository writing attitude



No one desires to read what you're going to create.



Most people don't like being instructed and informed. They probably would much prefer to get doing something more important.



The significance of recognising and adopting the "expository writing attitude" is not over-stated, because it can dramatically affect the very nature of what you're writing. Here are a number of examples.



A. Corporate image brochure



I once was commissioned to write a corporate image brochure. Two things are certain about these expensive, glossy booklets:



? Almost all companies associated with a size feel compelled to produce them.



? Virtually no one ever reads them.



Starting from the attitude that no-one would need to read what I was about to write down, I created a brochure that folks not only read. They actually known as the company to request additional copies to give to friends, clients and professional colleagues!



B. Stagnating product



On another occasion, I was commissioned to formulate an advertising campaign to revitalise an item with stagnating sales. Applying the expository writing attitude, I discovered that three with the product's key benefits just weren't being properly exploited. Why? The manufacturer felt that everything regarding product was important, so for a long time they had been systematically burying these three key benefits under an avalanche of more information of less interest to potential buyers. The new campaign sharply focussed on the key benefits; virtually all other information was gone after the background or eliminated. As a result, sales shot up some 40% inside the first year.



With some nuances, this self-same expository writing attitude could be - and may be - placed on speaking, at the same time.



Essential procedure for expository writing



Because creative writing and expository writing have essentially different objectives and attitudes, they need essentially different approaches.



Creative writing approach



Play with language to create pleasure.



In short, use your mastery in the language to amuse and entertain.



Expository writing approach



Organise information to generate interest.



Clever usage of language will not make dull information interesting; however, it is possible to organise the knowledge to make it interesting. Forget about literary pyrotechnics. Concentrate on content.



We are now planning to leave creative writing, because most of the we write, and say, is expository.



What will we mean by "good writing"?



We are actually ready to return to the notion of how mathematics refers to good writing, and also by extension to great speaking.



When someone reads an expository text or listens to an expository speech, they're likely to judge becoming good or otherwise good. You probably try this yourself. But so what can you actually mean once you say a text or perhaps a speech is "good".



After some struggling, most of the people will usually decide on two criteria: clear and concise.



Mathematics is dependent upon unambiguous definitions; in the event you are not clear about the problem, you're unlikely to get the solution. So we have been going to examine these criteria in some detail to be able to establish objective definitions - and also quasi-mathematical formulae - for testing whether a text or even a presentation truly is "good".



A. Clarity



How have you any idea that a text is see-through?



If this feels like a silly question, try and answer it. You will probably take action like this:



Question: What makes this text clear?



Answer: It is straightforward.



Question: What makes it straightforward?



Answer: It is simple.



Question: What do you mean by simple?



Answer: It is obvious.



You in reality end up making the rounds in a circle. The text is apparent because it's easy to understand . . . because it's simple . . . because it is clear.



"Clear", "easy to understand", and "simple" are synonyms. Whilst synonyms could possibly have nuances, they usually do not have content, so you are still left to your own subjective appreciation. But everything you think is clear may 't be clear to somebody else.



This is why we give "clear" goal definition, almost like a mathematical formula. To achieve clarity -i.e. virtually everyone will agree that it really is clear - you have to do three things.



1. Emphasise what is of key importance.



2. De-emphasise precisely what is of secondary importance.



3. Eliminate precisely what is of no importance.



In short: CL = EDE



Like all mathematical formulae, this works only in case you know how to make use of it, which requires judgement.



In this example, you must first decide what exactly is of key importance, i.e. what will be the key ideas you need your readers to adopt away from your text? This is not easy to do. It is far much easier to say that it is all totally of key importance, so that you put in whatever you have. But there is a dictum that warns: If it is all totally important, then nothing is. In short, if you do not first perform work of defining what you really want your readers to know, they won't do it for you personally. They will get lost in your text and either stop trying or come out the opposite end unsure what it can be they have read.



What about the second element in the formula, de-emphasise precisely what is of secondary importance?



That sounds simple. You don't want key information and ideas to have lost in details. If you clearly emphasise what exactly is of key importance - via headlines, Italics, underlining, or simply just how you organise the info - then whatever is left over is automatically de-emphasised.



Now the only thing left to do is eliminate what is of no importance.



But how do you distinguish between precisely what is of secondary importance and what is of no importance? Once again, this requires judgement, which can be helped with the following very important test.



Secondary importance is anything that supports and/or elaborates one or more in the key ideas. If you judge that a piece of information actually does support or elaborate several key ideas, then you certainly keep it. If not, you cure it.



B. Conciseness



How do you know that a text is concise?



If this once again appears like a silly question, let's try to answer it.



Question: What makes this text concise?



Answer: It is short.



Question: What do you mean by short?



Answer: It does not have too many words.



Question: How do you know it doesn't always have too many words?



Answer: Because it is concise.



So yet again we end up going around in the circle. The text is concise because it really is short . . . since it doesn't have a lot of words . . . because it is concise.



Once again, we've almost a mathematical formula to resolve the problem. To achieve conciseness, your text should meet two criteria. It should be as:



1. Long as necessary



2. Short as you possibly can



In symbols: CO = LS



If you've got fulfilled the standards of "clarity" correctly, you already understand "as long as necessary". It means covering all the ideas of key importance you have identified, and each of the ideas of secondary importance required to support and/or elaborate these key ideas.



Note that there is nothing said here in regards to the number of words, because it is irrelevant. If it takes 500 words to get "as long as necessary", then 500 words can be used. If it takes 1500 words, this is all right too. The important point is everything that should be inside the text is fully there.



Then precisely what is meant by "as short as is possible"?



Once again, it is nothing caused by with the number of words. It is useless to express at the beginning, "I should not write a lot more than 300 words with this subject", because 500 words could be the minimum necessary.



"As short as you possibly can" means staying as close as it is possible to to the minimum. But not because people prefer short texts; within the abstract the terms "long" and "short" have zero meaning. The important point is always that all words beyond the minimum usually reduce clarity.



We mustn't be rigid concerning this. If being "as long as necessary" could be done in 500 words so you use 520, this is probably a matter of individual style. It does no harm. However, should you use 650 words, it can be almost without doubt the text will not be completely clea r- understanding that the reader can be confused, bored or lost.



In sum, conciseness means saying what needs to get said within the minimum level of words. Conciseness:



? Aids clarity by ensuring best structuring of info.



? Holds reader interest through providing maximum information in minimum time.



C. Density



Density can be a less familiar concept than clarity and conciseness, but is also important. In mathematical form, density consists of:



1. Precise information



2. Logically linked



In short: D = PL



Importance of precise information



Suppose you enter a space where you'll find two other folks and say, "It's hot today." One of those people originates from Helsinki; in the mind he interprets "hot" to mean about 23?C. The other one arises from Khartoum; to him "hot" means 45?C.



You are off to a rather bad start, because every one has a totally different idea of the items you want to say. But suppose you say, "It's very hot today; the temperature is 28? C." Now there is no room for confusion. They both know quite clearly that it's 28? C outside understanding that you consider this to be very hot.



Using as much precise information as possible in a very text provides the writer two significant advantages:



? Mind Control



Let's not be embarrassed with the term "mind control", because this is precisely what the excellent expository writer would like to achieve. He needs for people's mind to travel only where he directs it and nowhere else.



Because they may be interpreted in unknown ways, ambiguous terms (so-called "weasel words") for example "hot", "cold", "big", "small", "good", "bad", etc., allow people's mind to escape from the writer's control. An occasional lapse just isn't critical; however, too many weasel words in a text will finally lead to reader confusion, boredom and disinterest.



? Reader Confidence



Using precise information generates confidence, given it tells your reader that the writer really knows what he is talking about.



Reader confidence is essential in any kind of text, but it's crucial in argumentation. If you might be trying to win a point, the last thing you want is your reader to challenge your computer data, but this will be the first reaction imprecise writing will provoke. Precise writing ensures that this discussion will be regarding the implications with the information, i.e. what conclusions must be drawn, not whether the whole thing needs to go back for additional investigation.



Importance of logical linking



Precise data (facts) alone are insufficient. To be meaningful, data have to be organised to make information, i.e. help your reader understand.



There are two important tests to make use of when converting data into information:



1. Relevance



Is a particular bit of data really needed? As we now have seen, unnecessary data damages understanding and ultimately undermines confidence. Therefore, any data that do not either aid understanding or promote confidence needs to be eliminated.



2. Misconceptions



The logical link between data have to be made explicit to prevent your reader from visiting false conclusions. For example: a unique situation may be confused for the general one; credit for an achievement might appear to fit in with only one person in the event it really is owned by a group; a business policy may appear to make use of only in very specific circumstances in lieu of in all circumstances, etc.



To ensure which a logical link is obvious, position the two items of data as close to each other as is possible, preferably right next to each other.



When data are widely separated, their logical relationship is masked as well as the reader is unlikely to produce the connection.



What do you want? What do your readers want?



I frequently ask non-professional writers what they are thinking whenever they sit down with the keyboard to compose their text. The answer is usually something such as, "How do I want to present my material?" "What tone and style should I use?" "In what order should I put my key ideas?" And so on.



However, in the event you start while using correct attitude, i.e. no one wants to read whatever you write, your first task is none of such. Ahead of whatever else, you have to find reasons why people should spend their time and energy to read what you write.



In general, you cannot force people to read what they don't want to, even if they may be being paid to accomplish so.



For example, you have produced a report defining opportunities for increased sales and profits. However, if it is not well written, even individuals who must read it as being part of their job are unlikely take their full attention. On the other hand, if they immediately see their unique self-interest in reading everything you have written, they are going to do so gladly along with full attention. In fact, it is likely you couldn't stop them from reading it!



There are various methods to create such a strong desire you just read, depending on the kind of readers and also the type of information. Whatever the most appropriate device, the thing is usually to recognise the imperative need to use it. Until this require is met, very little else is of the importance.



Editor's note: Reading can be an isolated activity and listening to a speech is a social one. Therefore, whilst the root principles of proper writing and good speaking are constant, the way these are applied might be markedly different. In the 'I' with the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) just like a Professional, Mr. Yaffe's recently published book, clearly explains these differences. It also offers several appendices with cogent examples and pertinent, effective exercises.



Philip Yaffe is often a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal along with a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a training course in good writing and good speaking in public in Brussels, Belgium. In the 'I' with the Storm is accessible either in a print version or electronic version from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium ( and Amazon (



For more info, please contact:

Philip Yaffe

61 avenue des Noisetiers

B -1170 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +32 (0) 660 04 05

Email phil.yaffe@yahoo.com



Philip Yaffe is really a former writer with The Wall Street Journal and international marketing communication consultant. Now semi-retired, he teaches courses in persuasive communication in Brussels, Belgium. Because his clients use English being a second or third language, his approach to writing and presentation is somewhat completely different from other communication coaches. He is the author of In the ?I? of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) as being a Professional. Contact: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com.