Show, don’t just tell.


By: Dalya F. Massachi

So you’re working on your cover letter and resume. If you are applying for a position that requires a significant amount of communications, outreach, or development work you may also be preparing a writing sample. Here is a major tip for making your documents shine: SHOW the reader the action. Don’t simply tell.

Concrete images and specifics show your readers exactly what you are talking about. Vivid details help you build interest, add drama, and help your reader visualize the specific value you can bring to his or her organization. Turn any abstract ideas into tangible outcomes.

Most people can best process new information if they can “see” it. Others want to “hear” the sounds behind the words. And still others want to smell, taste, or feel what they are learning. The more ways we get to experience something, the better we can integrate it into our personal knowledge base.

People need to be shown things. Realtors know that they need to show a property before they can sell it. Car dealers know that customers must test-drive a vehicle to get a feel for it. If you have ever tried to introduce a new technology to skeptical or resistant family members, you know that you need to show how the newfangled gadget will immediately benefit them and be worth the extra effort.

In addition, the more emotionally sensitive among us might want to know about the poignant moments, the compassion, and the personal challenges that you are describing. Families reunited, health restored, and hope established are just a few of the events you might draw your readers into.

Second-hand analysis, theory, or pontificating doesn’t even come close.

Give this a try: Imagine that you have a state-of-the-art video camera or microphone. What images and sounds would you capture to illustrate the points you are trying to make? Would you do close-ups or survey the entire scene from afar? What or whom would you feature, or put off to the side, in the background, or outside the frame altogether? Think about examples you would use, and emotions or action you could show. Take some notes.

Then imagine that your audience members are blind and deaf, and they have a short attention span. It is your job to describe to them the most compelling things about what you just recorded. Grab your keyboard or a pen and start writing down these descriptions .Try to incorporate some of them into your cover letter and resume.

About the Author
Dalya F. Massachi specializes in helping nonprofit professionals advance their missions through outstanding fundraising and marketing materials – online and offline. A lifelong writer, Dalya’s first Letter to the Editor was published in her hometown newspaper before she was even a teenager. For nearly 20 years, Dalya has worked professionally with community-oriented organizations as a sought-after trainer, writing coach, grantwriter, journalist, and organizer. She has crafted countless successful marketing pieces, grant proposals, and news articles. Dalya’s award-winning book, entitled “Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact,” is available at a special discount for OK readers (http://bit.ly/kna7RA). Her website and free tip sheets and e-newsletter are at: www.dfmassachi.net.

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