What Great Paragraphs Can Do for Your Career
Paragraphs are structured around the topic sentence. The topic sentence, normally the first sentence in the paragraph, gives the main point of the paragraph, and all other sentences support or expand that point. Well structured and interesting paragraphs can make you standout in the business world.
Suppose that you need to send your boss a report discussing a recent conference that you and a colleague attended, and you have the following ideas in sentence form:
Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office for a presentation of our products and services in the near future.The discounts we received on hotel and transportation costs will make our ROI much greater.We made several contacts in our networking that may lead to new contracts.The presentation tools we used were a credit to our graphic department.We were invited by Bob Jones of Acme to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors.
Sentences one, three, and five would go in the same paragraph with sentence three being the topic sentence. Sentence two would go in a paragraph about the financial aspects of the conference, and sentence four would go in a paragraph about the company's professional performance at the conference.
If you start constructing a paragraph from sentences one, three, and five above, you can put in a few transition words (in this case "foremost" and "also") to make logical connections as follows:
We made several contacts in our networking that may lead to new contracts. Foremost, Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office for a presentation of our products and services in the near future. Also, we were invited by Bob Jones of Acme to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors.
Transitioning shows your reader the connections between the thoughts you are presenting. Imagine yourself as your reader's guide while traveling through your writing, placing connections between sentences as you would place footstones leading somewhere.
To keep reader interest, vary your sentences in length and structure and try to remove any passive verbs. Here's a re-write that makes the paragraph a little more interesting.
Our networking efforts at the conference resulted in several solid contacts that may lead to new contracts. Foremost, Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office in the near future for a presentation of our products and services. Also, Bob Jones of Acme invited us to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors which we anticipate leading to inclusion on their vendor list.
Now, your boss knows what a go-getter you are!
Related Tags: writing, career, paragraphs, impressing boss and clients
Vickie Adair is the senior technical writer at Media A-Team http://www.mediaateam.com and also publishes as a freelance writer. She writes for several websites such as http://www.booksisters.com a website for readers of self-help books, and http://www.natural-products-directory.com a directory of online business that sell or manufacture organic and/or natural products.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Smile Therapy At The Front Desk
Walk into any type of medical office and the first thing you should see is a smile with a warm and f - What Are The Costs Of Hiring Culturally-Incompetent Staff?
It may come as a surprise to the casual observer that many organizations never consider the conseque - Right Choice Of Words For Effective Business Communication
Communication is a process by which meanings are exchanged among people through the use of words. Bu - Don't Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater
I recently read about a business philosophy that is starting to become a popular water cooler topic - Improve Your Relationships by Cutting Them Off At Their Knees!
Perhaps your work colleagues are causing you to experience stress through their methods of communica - What's Your Communication Quotient? Workplace Communication - Your Key to Success!
Forget GQ! These days it's your CQ that matters...your Communication Quotient. Degrees and awards a - Not Understanding Questions - Is It Me or Is It Them?
To begin with, this is a great question. Let's begin by breaking down what you've just asked me into - Speaking with Your Authentic Voice
Imagine a world where everyone spoke their truth.If that stirs up an, "Oh my Gosh, I couldn't do tha - Is High Definition Video Conferencing Right for Your Business?
If you are looking into purchasing a video conferencing solution for your business, chances are you - Workplace Predators
Polar bears are known for fierceness and lack of natural predators, although wolves and walruses can
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Intercultural Stereotyping: We Are All Guilty Of It!
Defined as "beliefs about the characteristics, attributes, and behaviours of members of certain grou - Think Local, Act Global
Any observant professional would have now been aware of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank's advertisem - Communicating with Singaporeans: Understanding 6 Key Aspects
To the first-time visitor, Singapore is a thoroughly Asian country with Western trappings. Not to me - Listening is Loving
When you really listen to other human beings you are:• honoring their unique presence in the univers - 14 Work Behavior Sins You Don't Want to Make
Are you a good co-worker, or are you annoying the life out of those around you? Many people claim t - How To Understand Cross-Cultural Analysis
Cross-cultural analysis could be a very perplexing field to understand with many different viewpoint - Laughter and Fun are the Best Medicine for Companies
The immune system is the body's defence mechanism to handle viruses. Laughter and fun have been he - Eye Protection and Safety Glasses - Workplace Safety
The most common form of eye protection is safety glasses. I have always hated wearing safety glasse - Important Uses Of Stickers And Labels In Your Business
For businesses, the need to be orderly and organized when it comes to documents, files and records i - Creating Workplace Harmony: Discover and Release Hidden Causes of Tension
There is nothing that disrupts productivity and satisfaction at the workplace as much as tension tha
