How to Make an IMPACT

Chapter 1

Bullet points (‘WiT’)

‘WiT’: the seriously better alternative to many bullet points

• Why bullet points often don’t work
• An alternative way to give real impact to your findings and comments: ‘WiT’
• How ‘WiT’ helps readers and writers
• ‘Before’ and ‘after’ – slides, notes, reports, client pitches, KPIs, CVs, and so on
• When bullet points are acceptable

For the naïve, bullet lists may create the appearance of hardheaded organised thought.

Professor Edward Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint (page 16)

This chapter is on ‘WiT’, which stands for ‘Words in Tables’. If I were a chef, it would be my signature dish. On my courses, it’s everyone’s favourite bit, the mantra they take away at the end. ‘WiT’ is simple yet effective. It’s seriously ...