3.3: Drafting a Purpose Statement
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OK, you have a feel for the general purpose of your communication (to direct, inform, persuade or inspire), but what is your "bottom line" you need to communicate to your audience? If you have difficulty nailing down your objective, your audience will be equally confused.
One way to make sure you’re clear on your objective is to write a purpose statement, which is one sentence that captures the essence of what you’re trying to do-your "bottom line." It’s the one sentence you’d keep if you were allowed only one. Developing a clear purpose statement will help you in two ways:
- It will help you focus as you develop your communication.
- It will help your audience focus when you deliver your message.
Think about it; your audience wants a clear statement of your position and where you are going. This is especially true when your audience consists of higher-ranking individuals with many demands on their time and issues requiring their attention. Now, let’s look at some examples of draft purpose statements:
- To inform individuals in the Civil Engineering Squadron about new policies on hazardous waste disposal. - To encourage (inspire) at-risk high school students to work hard, stay in school and have hope in the future.
- To persuade the division chief to buy three laptops for use during official travel.
As we’ll mention in chapter 5, you may update your purpose statement after researching your topic. (For example, you might find out you need four laptops, not three.) Even if it isn’t locked down, a draft statement will help guide your research and support efforts.