1. Before you write anything down define not what you want to say, but what your message must achieve. Keep that firmly in focus at all times and use it as the main goal for everything you write. Ask yourself "does this concept/approach /clever headline/earnest mission statement/ really help the message achieve its objectives?" If the honest answer is no, alter it or rethink it completely.
2. Identify your target audience and get to know them very well. No matter how beautifully structured your message is if it doesn't take into account the real circumstances and needs of the audience, it won't work. Align your message's objectives with these circumstances and needs.
3. Study the media you'll be using; be aware of how people will receive your message and where your message will be competing for their attention, use your common sense and creativity to make it stand out in the crowd. (Or if the crowd's too big, reconsider the choice of media if that's within your power.)
4. Now develop your message based on these issues, and add in the final magic ingredient ? "what's in it for them?" Successful business messages are always based on benefits for the target audience - either actual or implied. Ensure you know the difference between features and benefits, and how to convert features into benefits.
5. Research the way your target audience speak and communicate, and phrase your message in their language - which may not necessarily be yours. Avoid corporate pomposity and unnecessary jargon. Talk to "you," not some vague third party, and keep your English as simple as possible, especially when your message is going to people who originate from other cultures.
6. Traditional grammar and even spelling mostly have been thrown out of the window. However there are still a few grammar rules you need to follow if you don't want your message to look amateurish. Your knowledge of the audience and how they communicate will dictate your writing style to a large extent. Don't let catchwords, "internet-speak," emoticons, etc. obscure your message or its benefits.
7. Time pressures and the influence of the internet have made us into a world of browsers, even when we're reading brochures and other print. Unless it's very short organise your offline text so readers who are browsing get the key points very easily. Always separate technical detail and other lengthy data from the main text so readers aren't obliged to plod through it unless they want to.
8. Never be tempted to transplant text written for print into an online environment. Online text is as different from offline text as a PC screen is from paper. Because reading from screens is so unfriendly, online text must be very short and crisp and must make it extremely easy for readers to absorb the key points. Don't let web designers talk you into flamboyant graphics that could inadvertently swamp your message.
9. When you give a speech, make sure you write it for yourself and your natural way of speaking - not your (or someone else's) idea of how an important business person should speak in public. Use a tape recorder to get an objective view of your voice, style, weaknesses and strengths. Keep sentences short with only one idea in each. Avoid telling jokes unless you're naturally funny. And rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
10. If you think you may be out of your depth with a business writing project (e.g. a TV commercial, major direct marketing campaign, complex video or business theatre script) you're probably right - so call in a professional writer. Don't risk embarrassing yourself or your organisation with an attempt that's amateurish - there's no shame in admitting you can't be an expert at everything!
Canadian-born Suzan St Maur is an international business writer and author based in the United Kingdom. In addition to her consultancy work for clients in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, she contributes articles to more than 150 business websites and publications worldwide, and has written eleven published books. Her latest eBooks, "The MAMBA Way To Make Your Words Sell" and "Get Yourself Published" and available as PDF downloads from bookshaker.com.
To subscribe to her free biweekly business writing tips eZine, TIPZ from SUZE, click bookshaker.com.
(c) Suzan St Maur 2003 - 2005
tidy up service Glenview ..These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:... Read More
Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing... Read More
There's nothing that kills a scene like hackneyed dialogue. Just... Read More
Most of us hate housework.Nevertheless, even the most hopeless slobs... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
For those looking at the jobs listings for writers, they... Read More
You may wonder why I have chosen this title of... Read More
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
"The Magic of Layout..."???Okay... "magic" might seem a bit over... Read More
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More
Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned... Read More
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More
What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding... Read More
"You should write a book." For years, I had been... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
A frequent conversation I have with my writing clients is... Read More
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense... Read More
As one of those fabulous Baby Boomers, you now own... Read More
Writing |