Substance the fourth principle
Writing gains in meaning and credibility when it is substantiated. Factual statements and ambitious claims should be verified or elaborated. Substantiation leads to communication that empowers and respects stakeholders.Spin is common in business, where fierce competition can prompt organisations to exaggerate. Suddenly, every organisation is a leader in some field or other and every product is the result of cutting-edge technology. With their competitors shouting at the same pitch, the result is a chorus that is dull, predictable and, to those the fluff is intended for, annoying.
To be fair, there is no harm in laying a claim to fame. A claim to leadership, superiority or excellence can help organisations appear better than their competitors. A company’s vision and mission are often ambitious, and companies need to be ambitious if they are to remain competitive. It is not unreasonable to use a persuasive approach to rally members of the organisation behind the company’s mission and vision.
The question is: how do you balance ambition with prudence in a way that is credible yet appealing?
Today, your stakeholders are significantly more demanding, informed, and opinionated. This is due to more consumer-friendly legislation, the power of litigation, and the empowering effect of technology. As a result of this, stakeholders – whether they are consumers, investors, staff, regulators etc. – need to be approached in a different way. Empowerment and respect are keys to this new approach.
Empowerment means enabling stakeholders to make judgements of their own, rather than force-feeding them biased views from headquarters. Respect means that you communicate with stakeholders in a mature and intelligent way, instead of assuming that people will buy any old claim just because it says so on the box. The willingness to believe the organisation is no longer unconditional and everlasting.
To avoid expensive litigation or damage to your reputation, business writers need to practise the fourth principle: substance. Substance means content that is significant, complementary and verifiable. In other words: substance means something to people, adds something to what they already know or feel and hasn’t been corrupted by spin.
Substance can take various forms:
- Case studies, for example to substantiate claims of market leadership or the company’s capabilities in a particular area. Case studies can be simple descriptions of a particular problem, its solution and the result. Instead of just saying something abstract like ‘we develop leaders in the banking sector’, you can describe how one of your clients felt the need to teach senior managers people skills, what program was developed and the result.
- Testimonials from users, who share their experiences with your organisation’s products or services. Happy customers and employees are the most credible ambassadors a company can have. Giving them a voice can help prospective clients or talent decide whether your company is right for them.
- Research from independent organisations, such as reviews from technology websites or professional research institutes. In Europe, for example, cars can be tested for safety by Euro NCAP. Their star rating is frequently used in ads of automobile makers to substantiate their car safety claims.
- Formal recognition from reputable and neutral parties (such as those awarding ISO certification or Investor in People accreditation), particularly when they compare organisations to objective criteria.
- Visible action, to substantiate promises or allow people to experience something for themselves. Companies can claim they care for the environment, however; if all head office employees ride to work on company bicycles, the statement is more credible.
- Have other stakeholders confirm your claim. While it’s easy for the CEO to say the company has improved conditions at its Asian factories, it is far more persuasive to have an NGO say they verified the claim and agree the workers are better off. Substance tends to closely follow or precede meaning, and in fact, substance is sometimes used to create meaning. An example of this could be the following sequence of sentences:
We are an innovative organisation [statement]. Our customers regularly receive software updates [substantiation], as a result of which they are able to be more productive [meaning]. According to the Consumer Protection Society, our customers receive more value for money as a result of this [substantiation] and are eager to recommend our software to colleagues [meaning]. This way, we make more profit, part of which is earmarked for innovation [meaning].
One word of caution: the principles of focus and substance can pull a text in conflicting directions. Focus values brevity – this allows the reader to grasp the main issues. Substantiation requires additional information that adds context and detail. While you should not choose one principle at the expense of the other, you need to balance the two.
For the sake of efficiency and control, it’s probably best to use focus as the lead principle. Focus guides you when building a text from the ground up, particularly when the process is guided by a brief and an outline. Once the main structure of the text has been prepared, and the text meets the goals and needs of the project, you are free to add details.
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