With regards to M. Ali, his comment regarding his fighting style, and, more specifically, his fancy footwork, is appropriate here. Use footwork — language — that remains fresh and interesting, not tiring or annoying. Using the same techniques over and over again, except in rare instances, causes a loss of interest. Redundancy and repetition, for example, can be effective in short bursts… for example, Churchill’s famous quote, “Never, never, never give up!” But don’t have a running routine using them. Just as folksy sayings or wordings should only be used for the effect of the moment, so should every mechanism be used as necessary, but stay light on your feet as you write.
By technique I mean any device or mechanism, that involves or compels your audience. If you are asking questions, don’t labor it with five or six in a row… throw in a few statements to break up the monotony. If you are reducing an argument to the absurd, do it for one or two points, but not every point.
If you’re using colloquial phrases… don’t do it constantly, because it will weary your reader. They will literally tire of plowing through all the sayings and lingo. Pepper your piece with enough to get the folksy feeling in it, and don’t feel you have to use “ain’t” “’em” or “Yep” or any sayings, phrases or common lingo every time, over and over again. Just because you used them at an earlier point in the letter doesn’t mean you are locked into using them in every paragraph. Folksy sayings or wordings (“My momma always told me” or “ain’t that right”, “don’tcha know?”, etc.) should only be used for the effect of the moment, not for an entire tense and personality for your sales piece.
Here’s the bottom line, your reader will get tired of such efforts, and the effect you wanted will be totally lost. Don’t weary your reader, viewer or listener.
