How to Bottom Line Your Message
Executives all the way at the top can struggle with bottom lining their ideas, especially in business writing. But following these tried-and-tested journalistic techniques can help you keep the point of the message front and center while also hooking and retaining your audience. Note to my readers: I’m thinking of a written message when writing this how-to piece; but similar strategies apply for organizing and delivering your oral messages, too.
Step One: Ponder: What am I trying to say?
This idea might sound philosophical; but one quick way to bottom line your message is contemplate: What do I want to say? For a message that’s even juicier — super engaging, try answering the following:
- What do I want my audience to know (and/or do) with this information?
- Why must they know this information — or perform this task?
- Why must they know this information (or act upon it) now? And how does this information help or serve them?
- What’s at stake if they don’t learn what I have to share today?
Drafting out with your communications coach or asking yourself these questions helps create an audience-centered message and a helpful framework to ensure your bottom line (i.e. the reason for your message) remains on top or up front. Two helpful acronyms might help you remember this rule: BLUF (bottom line up front) and BLOT (bottom line on top). We’re now ready for step two.
Step Two: Consider: What’s in it for the audience?
Often we want to jump straight into the weeds on our beloved topic; yet, in doing so, we risk losing our audience. A few data points provide incentives for us to self select what we include in our message and to remain audience centered:
- The average office worker receives 120 emails daily and sends around 40
- CEOs receive upwards of 500 emails daily
- An average of 20–40% of those emails get opened. In 2020, marketing emails received a 20% open rate.
And perhaps a small story might resonate? When I worked for Milwaukee Public Radio on a few documentary pieces, my bureau chief offered an excellent metaphor to help curb my enthusiasm to include it all. He offered: “Think of a suitcase and pack only what you need for a trip — not for the entire year, nor for all four seasons.”
He also rightfully pointed out your ideas might serve your audience over multiple messages vs. the one. But choose a theme, consider what’s in it for the audience (or even ask them what they want to know) and then select the most relevant facts.
Step Three: Follow a framework
To ensure your reader stays with your beloved message from the start to the end, you’ll also need a framework to effectively structure the message. Consider this lovely model I learned from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill and specifically from my dear friend and mentor Dr. Heidi Schultz.
•A descriptive subject line
•The bottom line: Here’s what I want my readers to know
•A clear purpose, to-do, or ask of your audience
•An outline sentence/blueprint (These last three points exist in your launch paragraph.)
•Details and/or clarification, explanation, benefits (These can sit across multiple paragraphs)
•A positive, forward-looking close related to the message’s focus (This becomes your last paragraph.)
For best results, consider a few journalistic and additional tips:
Keep the descriptive subject line brief, but compelling. Given that many of us determine which email to open via our phones vs. laptops, keep the subject line short as a Tweet for optimum readership. Get creative here. How might you Tweet your message? Share with someone in an elevator ride? Whatever comes to you becomes the subject line.
Resist the urge to omit the descriptive outline sentence at the bottom of your launch paragraph. Your reader appreciates something all encompassing so they know what the rest of the message contains — and what you want them to do with the information. Consider the outline a road map of what’s next.
Keep the details and clarifications succinct, crisp, and compelling. Cherry pick the best details to include and use the audience centered idea(Step #2) to help you self edit here. Which benefits, examples etc. best serve your audience — and your overall goal for the message? Start there and ask for advice from a trusted source if you’re not sure.
Strive to keep an informative message at around 1.5 pages which might resemble this kind of structure:
- A compelling subject line (5 to 8 words — tops!)
- A launch paragraph including what you want your audience to do — or know — why you want to share this message, and why now. Any deadline for any ask. End the launch with an outline sentence stating what’s next.
- Three to four robust, well-crafted paragraphs fleshing out whatever you promised in your launch. Preempt what questions (or doubts) your audience might have within these vital paragraphs.
- An upbeat conclusion with a reminder of any ask you asked up top and any deadline you might of mentioned in the launch paragraph, too.
In the spirit of hooking and retaining my audience, I’ll stop here. But in part II of effective bottom lining of your message, might I tempt you with effective design techniques to keep the message accessible and skimmable? And how about ways to keep the language itself simple and accessible? I hope these ideas resonate! If so, do stay tuned.
Write to me via hangingrockmedia@gmail.com on what worked — or didn’t. (We welcome all feedback!) Visit my website. Or, connect via my Calendly link.