Mark each item out of 5, where 5 is best and 0 is worst.
| No |
Item |
Score |
Scoring basis |
| 1 |
Target Audience - the reader e.g. any 'C' level executive,
Line of Business Manager, specialist?Specify - do not score.
|
| 2 |
Target Audience - the Industry sector or segment?Specify
- do not score.
|
| 3 |
Is the language, terminology
and prose style appropriate for the intended reader? |
|
Mark against your answer to
Q1. Automatically score zero for any Three Letter Acronym (TLA)
that is not explained on the first occasion that it is used. |
| 4 |
Is the solution relevant for
the Industry or segment? |
|
Mark against your answer to Q2. |
| 5 |
Is it about an established success,
or is it simply an announcement about a recent win? |
|
Promises of benefits are not
as good as the real thing. |
| 6 |
Does the title, front page graphic
or the first sentence secure the readers attention? |
|
Attention is the hardest thing
to capture - ask someone else. |
| 7 |
Does the opening paragraph explain
why a target reader should read the entire piece? |
|
Do you signal early on the benefit
the reader will get from the time spent? |
| 8 |
How much of the content
is directed to carrying the message and the essential background? |
|
Client history, anecdotes
and values are all very well, but not in the opening paragraphs
unless it is essential. Keep it brief. |
| 9 |
Is the length about
right? |
|
Here's a simple test.
Pick any paragraph and try to cut out half the words. If you
succeed then it's too long! |
| 10 |
Is it easy to read? |
|
It's almost certain that you
are the wrong person to make this judgement - you're too close
to it! This is one to "ask a friend". |
| 11 |
Is it easy to navigate? |
|
Another one for the
friend! |
| 12 |
Does the piece make the claims
concerning the benefits of the solution clear? |
|
Be harsh - you're looking for
clear simple statements in plain English. |
| 13 |
Are any benefit claims quantified
in a meaningful way to allow the prospect to assess the business
value of the solution? |
|
Any kind of numbers will help,
either absolute numbers about cost savings or percentage numbers
concerning speed, cost, efficiency or productivity improvement. |
| 14 |
Are any benefit claims substantiated
by reference to other supporting or corroborating information
from independent sources? |
|
Before or after comparisons,
references to independent information sources like industry
or market norm data. |
| 15 |
Does the piece make clear the
way in which this solution is different from other possible
solutions' Unique Sign Points (USPs)? |
|
Does it sell the solution for
anybody - or does it sell your solution? |
| 16 |
Is there a clear, simple and
compelling "call to action" - the next step for people
who want to know more? |
|
Surprising how often the copy
just stops - no next step, maybe a long list of locations -
does it make it easy? |
| 17 |
Are the diagrams and graphics
relevant to the story and do they help to convey the message? |
|
The only excuse for having these is that they help tell the
message, or attract attention. If they're simply there as
decoration they're wasting space.
|
| 18 |
Is there a legend or subtitle
for all the pictures or graphics that are used - and are the
diagrams referred to in the copy? |
|
The text that appears beneath
a picture is much more likely to be read - make good use of
it. |
| 19 |
Does the story offer direct support
for the key value propositions or fundamental top level messages
of the business? |
|
This is the strategy piece -
think about the top level messaging of the business, the key
notes of the value proposition. Does this piece sing the right
song? |
| 20 |
Do you waste space on standard
information like a list of offices, which is readily available
on the web? |
|
Success story is defocused if
it carries your corporate positioning too. |
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