What really stood out from this reading to me was the common saying that tied together the chapter: “Tell them what your are going to tell them. Tell them. Then, tell them what you told them.” It may seem redundant and pointless to basically say the same thing over and over but it is the basis of most technical writing and presentations. Having sat through a lot of “death by PowerPoint” presentations in the Air Force, it is obvious to me that an audience usually needs the main points drilled into their heads more than once when it has to do with something technical that may not be all that enthralling to listen to or read. This also seems to be somewhat apparent in resumes and cover letters. I noticed in the blogs from last week that some people find them to be repetitive or at least pose some of your same information in a new way. Although it may sound bad, this could help you out greatly, if the person sorting through stacks of resumes sees your information in a new perspective.
It also seems to me that this structure of communicating is cultural, especially after reading the last section of this chapter on cross-cultural documents using and indirect approach. The document to the Chinese businessman starts off slowly and in a light manner. It seems to parallel social formalities that would be appropriate if meeting in person in a similar situation. This cultural nuance appears to stem down from the traditions of saving face for that region. However, in this culture, we tend to get to the essentials then reaffirm them and follow them up. Personally, I think I would prefer the former style as I find it hard sometimes to be interested in reading if it restates itself.
Tell them, tell them, and repeat again.
I think that the saying about telling and telling and telling them, is very redundant and somewhat annoying, but if you think about it, that’s exactly what you need to do in your writing. This is the first time I think I have actually heard it put like that, but when you hear it, it actually makes you think about what needs to happen. That saying sticks into my head more than just hearing someone say in your intro; tell them what you are going to say in your body, then in your conclusion repeat what you said in the body. It’s almost like a short poem or hymn to drill into your head the concepts of what to put into your intro, body, and conclusion.