January 29, 2026

What Details Do That Claims Can’t

We usually avoid overly descriptive communication in a professional setting. It feels indulgent, unnecessary—a time drain. Get to the point, please.

Why then should you use storytelling skills like detail and description when your goal is to inform?

Because detail and context aren’t just colour, they’re evidence. If you say something, you should show it. Even better if that proof connects with the lived experience and concerns of your intended audience.

Yes, there’s little room for poetry in technical, professional, and political spaces. But there’s also a reason why strong leaders are skilled at oratory and keep talented speechwriters by their sides. Clarity and credibility are built through how information is framed, not just what’s shared.

Specifics Aren’t Colour—They’re Proof

When you hear descriptive writing, you might think of creative writing or language meant to entertain. In professional communication, description does a different job.

It helps the reader:

Visualize what’s actually happening
Understand the human scale of the work
Recognize when something is concrete rather than theoretical

A single, well-chosen detail often carries more credibility than a paragraph of general claims. That same line can often be reused across materials—emails, meeting invites, presentations, or reports. Adding detail can also mean sharing regional or geographic context, short anecdotes from people affected, relevant socioeconomic factors, or sensory detail when appropriate—what was seen, heard, or experienced on the ground.

How Detail Creates Buy-In

Descriptive writing captures attention by giving readers a clear point of entry.

In professional and corporate settings, people decide quickly whether to stay engaged. Dense research papers and strategy documents lose readers not when the significance of an issue isn’t immediately clear.

Relatable examples and concrete detail help bridge that gap. A brief, specific moment orients your audience, making complex information easier to follow. Details also allow your listener to draw conclusions for themselves. Instead of asserting success, you show turnout, response, or results.

That approach respects the reader’s intelligence and strengthens trust.

Specifics Editors Look For Instead of Claims

Editors are trained to replace vague summaries with observable details.

Instead of:
The program was well received.

They look for:

Who attended
What happened
What changed as a result
What happens next

Instead of:
The rollout went smoothly.

They ask:

Compared to what?
According to whom?
In what way?

A useful question to ask yourself—or a colleague—when an update feels abstract or a report is falling flat is:
“What do you mean?”

As a self-check, it forces clarity. When asked of others, it invites explanation without confrontation. Often, the second explanation is clearer, simpler, and more candid than the first.

Editors also ask another key question:
“Where does the reader see themselves in this information?“

When people can picture what you’re describing, they’re more likely to stay engaged, understand relevance, and trust the conclusions being drawn.

Example: Descriptive Professional Writing

Instead of:
The riverbank restoration project made strong progress this season.

Try:

By mid-August, volunteers had replanted 2,300 locally sourced grass plants along the riverbank—establishing root systems that help bind soil and stabilize a 400-metre stretch that had flooded twice in the previous year.

Or instead of:
Community engagement increased significantly at shoreline clean-ups.

Try:

Attendance at shoreline clean-ups doubled this spring, with local fishers, school groups, and other residents filling every available safety briefing slot by 8:30 a.m.

These examples don’t dramatize the work. They share impact by setting information to its place, scale, and impact.