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Professional Writing · Chapter 1

Reader Radar

One message, six readers, four different reasons for opening it. Cast each person on the distribution list as primary, gatekeeper, secondary or tertiary and find out what each mis-casting actually costs you. Then slide the same set of facts across three levels of expertise and watch emphasis change while the facts hold still.

Cast the readers

Your message: you are asking to release three day-shift nurses for four hours of vendor training on the new documentation system, split across 22 and 29 May, before the 1 June go-live. Six people will read it. Only one of them is being asked to do anything.
Assign every reader. Feedback appears the moment you choose — and changing your mind is free.

What your casting costs

0of 6 readers cast correctly

Same facts, three readers

What changed
What did not change