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in your audience’s mind. You can also call attention to an idea visually by
using headlines, bold type, and indented lists and by using charts, graphs
maps, diagrams, and illustrations. Furthermore, be sure to show how new
ideas are related to concepts that already exist in the minds of your audience.
Such connections help make the new concepts acceptable.
Finally, keep your messages as brief and as clean as possible. With few
exceptions, one page is easier to absorb than two. However, because it is
important to develop each main idea adequately, it is better for you to cover
three points thoroughly rather than skimming through eight points super-
ficially. Remember, by highlighting and summarizing your key points, you
help your audience understand and remember the message.

Reduce the Number of Messages
Limiting the number of messages you send, is another way of being effec-
tive. One useful way to reduce the number of messages is to think twice
before sending one. It takes time and resources to produce letters and
memos, and hence organizations have to be concerned with how many
messages they create. If a written message merely adds to the information
overload, it is probably better left unsent or handled some other way, like
a quick telephone call or a face-to-face chat. By holding down the number
of messages, organizations will maximize the benefits of their communica-
tion activities.

Choose the Correct Channel and Medium

Even the most carefully constructed message will fail to produce results if
it does not reach your audience. Try, as far as possible, to eliminate poten-
tial sources of interference. Begin by eliminating the number of channels a
message must pass through, before it reaches its intended target. Follow this
by making sure of the fact that your choice of communication channel and
medium does not interfere with your message.
When you plan a message, think about the amount of feedback you
want to encourage, and choose a form of communication that suits your
needs. Some channels and media are more compatible with feedback than
others. Media richness is the value of a medium in a given communica-
tion situation. Richness is determined by a medium’s ability to (1) convey a
message by means of more than one informational cue (visual, verbal, and
vocal), (2) facilitate feedback, and (3) establish personal focus. Face-to-face
communication is the richest medium because it is personal, it provides
both immediate verbal and nonverbal feedback, and conveys the emotion
behind the message. However, it is also one of the most restrictive modes of
communication because the person and his audience must be in the same

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