This piece of writing from Bill and Melinda Gates I saw recently blew me away:

Why do I love it? Well, they…

• Use data sparingly, focusing on the big headlines – i.e. the $58 billion spent
• Finish with the most compelling piece of information – ending on a high
• Focus on one area/example (child deaths) that best reflects their message of progress, rather than trying to squeeze too many examples in
• Use down-to-earth language – so ‘Millions more kids are surviving’, rather than something stuffier like ‘Infant mortality has declined’
• Reiterate their message in different ways – ’the number of children dying has fallen by half’ AND ‘millions more kids are surviving’
• Use emotive words ‘That makes us optimistic’, ‘..we find most hopeful‘

Brilliantly persuasive, clear and compelling. 

Can you use some of these techniques in your next report, presentation or email?