Maine Creative Services

Writing is the hardest work I do. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done (and I’ve had several other jobs in which writing was not the main task). Maybe everyone who writes feels that way, but even so, there are plenty of good reasons to keep plugging away at it.

First, it helps you attract more customers. Sure, writing ads, brochures and newsletters can attract clients. So can information marketing — the articles, white papers, case studies, newsletters, etc. that are a tremendously effective way to demonstrate your expertise and impress a prospect. (There’s an article about it on my Web site — what a surprise.)

On her Successful Blog, Liz Strauss recently offered ten good reasons to get jazzed about writing. From the point of view of this blog, I suppose #5 would be at the top of the list:

Writing is free promotion. Offer quality, relevant content to an audience who needs it, and they’ll be coming back to see you again. Your name, your business, and your brand will gain a following from the writing that you did.

Liz’s other reasons also make sense from a strictly P&L (Profit & Loss) POV (Point of View):

It increases the visibility of your brand.
Writing lets you reach an unlimited audience.
In today’s universe, writing is your voice.
Writing lets you define the big idea of your brand.

Her other reasons might not translate directly into dollars, but they still make good cents — er, sense.

Writing forces you to think through ideas.
Writing allows you to think before you speak.

Liz is my kind of business owner. You’d do well to check out her blog and her reasons for writing.

One of these days we’ll discuss one of my favorite techniques for becoming a better writer: morning pages. Or read Julia’s Cameron’s excellent book The Artist’s Way.

Writing a proposal is one of the more common kinds of business writing. If your hands shake at the mere thought of writing such an intimidating document, Neil Tortorella has some helpful suggestions.

Neil is a graphic designer, so his examples lean in that direction, but his basic principles apply to your business, too.

Neil insists a good proposal — not a portfolio bulging with flashy samples — is what wins clients and gigs these days. My experience has been the same. He says, “If I get to the point of doing a project proposal, nine times out of ten, I’ll land the gig.”

Here’s he he organizes his proposals:

1. Executive Summary
2. Current Situation
3. Project Goals
4. Competition
5. Audience
6. Creative & Marketing Strategies
7. Process
8. Fees & Reimbursements
9. Billing & Schedule
10. Conclusion
11. Company Overview
12. Clients
13. Awards

It’s a lot, but that’s what it takes to win the gig.

If you enjoyed my recent series of writing tips, you’ll like this post.

Retired English teacher and business owner David Richards knows the importance of decent writing skills in achieving success — both in business and in life. He has two (only two) simple suggestions for those struggling to write well.

First, he says, follow the Nike slogan: Just do it. Don’t be intimidated by fear of the blank page.

Writing is like a child learning a game. Do you remember when you were a child and entered the playground to engage in some sport with your playmates? Did you know the rules? Of course not.

You learned to play as you went along, he explains. Same with writing — just jump in and go for it.

David’s second tip:

There has to a beginning, a middle and an end… So make sure you have introduced your subject, presented some material to support that subject and conclude with your findings or recommendations.

OK, it’s not quite that simple. But as I explained recently in my own series of writing tips, a good outline is a great way to begin. And well-begun is half done.

From Lifehack

Podcasts can be terrific, especially if:

1. You enjoy listening to audio
2. You’re able to process information that way (as opposed to reading it)
3. You’ve got the time to listen

Whether it’s radio, CDs, books on tape or podcasts, most listening is done in the car while driving. As someone who works in a home office, I don’t have a daily commute — unless walking back and forth to the coffee maker counts.

So I don’t have much opportunity to enjoy podcasts. I’m often interested in the topic, but just don’t want spend 10 or 20 or 30 minutes listening. So here’s a suggestion for Yaro and all you other podcasters out there:

Provide a written summary of your main points

Time is precious. Many people just don’t have time for podcasts. So summarize what you said. Maybe then I’ll listen.

That’s also the reason why I’ve all but given up on audio books. I can flip through a book and zero in on the sections I want to focus on. I’ve zipped through entire books in a few hours and gotten 80% of the content. A lot of us get more information in 10 min of skimming printed material than 30 minutes of listening.

Most people speak fairly slowly — only about 250 words per minute. But a lot of us can read twice or three times as fast. So give us the good stuff in a quick summary.

What do you think? When it comes to business material, do you prefer listening to reading?

Question:

Does anyone know who actually said “Kill all your darlings”?

I’ve seen it credited to everyone from Faulkner to Twain to William Goldman, screenwriter of Butch Cassidy. Let me know if you know.

Thanks.

As the late Jimmy Durante used to moan, “Everybody’s trying t’ git into the act!”

Jason over at 37 Signals was having lunch with some editors from a local weekly newspaper. (Gee, I heard they were all extinct.) 😉

He realized that all of them were “editors.” They just edit different stuff.

“They edit articles, we edit software.We prune it. We clip off the extra features like they clip off the extra words. We trim the interface like they trim a sentence.”

But then he got down to the heart of the matter:

“The editing process is what makes a great product… It’s not about designing or writing or coding, it’s about trimming those weeds back before they ruin the lawn.”

Keep that in mind when you’re struggling to improve your copy to attract customers. Whip out the weed whacker and cut out the crap.

Good editing means you’re willing to “kill all your darlings” — all those poetic phrases or clever alliteration that don’t add anything, don’t advance the story, or help you make the sale. You might still love them, but when they gotta go, they’ve gotta go.

Have you ever left a presentation, abandoned a Web page or tossed out a business document, wondering what the heck the author was trying to say?

Examples clarify your memo, letter, presentation, or marketing communications message. In our fast-paced, technological world, clear communications are a huge challenge. What we’re trying to say is often fairly abstract, or requires a lot of background information. Examples make a complex or abstract message clearer and easier to grasp.

Good examples are concrete and specific, while points tend to be vague and fuzzy. The best are brief and effective. They add value by illustrating your points and making them visual. They paint pictures your audience can “see” in their minds. This accelerates their understanding — and isn’t that the goal of all communications?

Here are a few points, immediately followed by examples. That’s the best place for them, by the way. And don’t hide them. Hang the words for example or like on them, to signal that an example is coming.

Notice how each example clarifies the point and brings it to life in our mind’s eye.

Point #1:
To make sure each student gets plenty of individual attention, our classes are always small.

Example:
For example, our Career Track classes are limited to 12 students.

Point #2:
“Applications” are simply software programs…

Example:
… like Microsoft Word, Excel or Outlook.

Point #3:
We need to change some procedures when processing inventory.

Example:
For example, we now sort incoming inventory in the lobby, a messy procedure in full view of customers.

See how examples make each message clear? Use lots of them.