I have this book, used it to write papers in college...yes I did graduate... lol...
One of the most important things I learned was to write how you think...
If you notice, when I post a reply, it’s from me about how I feel on the subject...
Great Article Dan, thank you for posting it!!!
If you recall in the Flesch's book, there a chapter about Montaigne, that 16th century Frenchman who went overboard taking about himself, but also endeared himself to his readers because he was so honest and talked about everything (even his sex life).
Well, not much has changed. So much of public discussion today is fake and phoney. When someone comes along who is provocative and speaks hard truth, well they often become highly credible! Successful radio talk show hosts certainly understand this principle.
Another strategy Flesch talks about is purposely revealing to the reader you are not an expert in the subject matter you're talking about.
What?! At first, this advice sounds ridiculous. But by downplaying your expertise, you actually gain credibility with the reader. (NOTE: The hundreds of ___fill-in-your-subject___ for Dummies books out seem to proves this point.)
But then, Flesch advises following up to explain how you became an expert by doing the research and synthesizing the knowledge of the many experts you spoke to.