Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business

Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business By Suzan St Maur on May 30, 2018 07:00 am "If you don't know what you think, you can't write it down," said my longtime colleague and book co-author John Butman some years ago. Yet how many of us take on a business writing exercise – email, blog post, even web page – without thoroughly thinking through the key issues needed to make that piece of writing work properly … before we write anything down? Most of us fall victim to it. Even I do, and I've been a professional business writer since Madison Avenue was a dirt track with an Algonquian name. It's all part of our tendency not to engage brain before putting fingers into gear. Here is one classic symptom, with a suggestion on how to treat it… "When you've finished your first draft," says another writer colleague of mine, Montréal based Nick Usborne, "remove your first sentence. Nine times out of ten that will improve the piece a lot."   Why? Because you have just started writing, without enough thinking Nick Usborne's advice is very valid for the same reasons. Most people just start writing, which means in the first sentence they are just warming up towards the point. Not only does removing the first sentence tend to sharpen up the writing, but often removing the entire first paragraph does, too. And that's hoping by paragraph two you've thought about what to write and are getting on with it. Much as my colleagues' advice is superb, however, people often don't realise that they don't know what they think. If that sounds a bit bizarre, that's because it is…   Surprisingly, it's not about what you want to say Yes, really. The vast majority of business writing is intended not merely to express what you want to say, but also – often more importantly – to bring about a desired action on the part of the reader. That means your thinking needs to cover two areas, not one: 1.The information you need to convey – what you want to say 2.What you want the reader to do with/about that information If the reader is someone who has no choice but to do what you want, then point number 2. isn't difficult. However, the vast majority of stakeholders, and especially customers and prospects, are not obliged to do what you tell them. Now what?   Think and write to get results, not revenge OK, if you're sending an email to a supplier asking them to replace a faulty toilet, complain about late deliveries or ask their driver not to spit on your nice new flooring, your first temptation will be to read them the Riot Act.   But even when you feel like firing a small thermonuclear device at someone, remember that as my old Canadian Dad used to say, "you'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar." If you're writing to put things right, you'll soon realise that what you want is a quick and painless resolution of the problem, or else a quick dismissal and move on elsewhere. Shouting abuse may make you feel better but won't get results. The assertive (not aggressive) approach may not beat pulling the wings off live flies for getting revenge, but it does allow everyone to save face and so win-win. Thinking about what to write and how to write it may not come easy, to begin with, but give yourself some time to calm down and think, before you write.   And think about "what's in it for them?" Anyone who has read my stuff more than about twice will know I'm always banging on about "stop writing we-wee," the "SO WHAT? Test," and "what's in it for me?" There is a reason for this, and it's because, in any form of writing that has even the merest whiff of marketing about it, your reader does NOT care about you or your issues. They care only about what's in it for them. Don't forget that there is this whiff of marketing about apparently unrelated writing, like reports, proposals, white papers, blog posts, etc. Much as these genres ostensibly are not about selling, nine times out of ten you are trying to sell readers if not a product or service, at least a concept/notion/idea. Once again, check out the two golden rules from above … 1.The information you need to convey – what you want to say 2.What you want the reader to do with/about that information   Start thinking from point #2, and write your text backwards Rather than go on about this particular issue here, please read this tutorial about writing proposals. It takes you step by step through the whole process of starting with what you want to happen, and structuring the proposals so readers are led gently but surely to where you want them to be. It may sound a bit sneaky, but then so is business.   As for marketing copy and blog writing, you know what to think before you write … don't you?   If not, have a browse through this category for marketing and related writing, and this category for blogging. And if you really want the "what's in it for me" / "features and benefits" concept in detail, this article – based on a very popular eBook – spells it out usefully.   Do you agree? Please share your thoughts! What advice can you share with us about thinking before writing?   About the author: Suzan St Maur This article first appeared on Suzan St Maur's award-winning writing resource website, HowToWriteBetterHTWB … with more than 1,500 articles and tutorials on a vast range of topics from business to fiction, training to comedy, by Suzan and many other writing experts from around the world. An experienced expert in marketing communications, Suzan is now an author coach, book publishing consultant, and best-selling author. This article was first published by Suzan St Maur   * Need a copywriter in New York City? Meet Mark.* The post Why you need to think first and write later – especially for business appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed Bad Date Syndrome Creative Play and Rejecting The Don Draper School of Idea Generation How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas

How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed

How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed By Rick Siderfin on May 23, 2018 07:00 am I'm not a fan of typical corporate buzzword-infested slogans. It's preferable to have no slogan at all than one which is entirely meaningless. You know the kind I mean. Sometimes masquerading as a mission statement, or a vision statement, or a company foundation – these are the slogans that fail to ignite any spark of human interest and are utterly irrelevant to potential customers. At best, they would be greeted by an ironic eye roll if you were ever bold enough to say them out loud to your potential customers. That's not to say slogans are entirely useless. If you can assemble into a short statement what it is that makes your company different from the rest, then a slogan or tagline can be very helpful in your marketing efforts. Here's a helpful test for your slogan: can it, alone, encapsulate why someone should spend their money with you, in a way that requires no additional explanation? It should be short – the less words the better – but not so short that it makes no logical sense. Here's some good examples: Reassuringly Expensive (Stella Artois) Never Knowingly Undersold (John Lewis) Shave Time. Shave Money (Dollar Shave Club) A Diamond is Forever (De Beers) Above it All (Range Rover) Built into the best slogans is an implicit promise – "spend your money with us, and receive this in return." Everyone knows that a good slogan alone is no guarantee of success. So, whatever you decide on for your slogan – you'd better be sure you can deliver on that promise. And please, whatever you do, don't just blatantly copy someone else's slogan – no one likes a pale imitation. The very least you can do is ensure you're original!   About the author: Rick Siderfin Rick Siderfin is a husband, dad of 3, and copywriter who lives and works in Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds. He is the founder of Vortex Content Marketing, a company founded with one simple objective: to help you get noticed online. This article was originally published by Rick Siderfin The post How to Create a Company Slogan that Will Get You Noticed appeared first on . Recent Articles: Bad Date Syndrome Creative Play and Rejecting The Don Draper School of Idea Generation How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas What Does the Word Copywriter Mean in 2018?

Bad Date Syndrome

Bad Date Syndrome By Phil Gayter on May 16, 2018 07:00 am When I do branding seminars I have one slide that leaves the room silent. It's a picture of an over-bearing man with a bored looking woman. A title over the top says: Are you a bad date? I usually invite the audience to raise their hands in concurrence, and a couple of mitts timidly reach for the tile ceiling. Thank you for admitting this! I go on to explain the following. A bad date shows up cocky and then proceeds to talk about themselves incessantly, in glowing terms, Me, I, Me, I, Me I. They continue like this ad infinitum until the poor date looks at their watch and excuses themselves to go to "the powder room," where they quietly slip through a tiny window and escape. Here's the point.   Many brands are bad dates.   They show up and talk incessantly about We, I, Me, I, We I, Us. You've all seen it. "We are the number one purveyor of coffins in Lake County! We offer the finest woods and we are proud to offer European-style handles!" "Eat at Jimmy's. We continue to be awesome and have been awesome since 1946." We. Us. I. Our.   The missing pronoun is "you." As in your customers.   As a brand, I can tell immediately if you are a good date or not. I look at your website and check to see how long it takes for you to talk about me (the customer), if I have to go to "In the news" or "testimonials" it tends to be a pretty bad start to our first meeting. A little bragging is OK, so are the facts and points and customer feedback, but if you make it all about your business, you are actually talking to yourself and guaranteeing your customers are squeezing through the bathroom window, possibly without paying, hopefully with their pants on. Brands should aspire to be "good dates," and that means showing up on time, being insightfully engaging and totally "into" the person they are meeting. It doesn't half help if you happen to look like Brad Pitt, but in the DNA sweepstakes of brands, personality usually rules over good looks. It's simple human nature. If you show some interest in someone–real interest–you miraculously become more interesting back. Marketing engagement is totally like this. Show that you understand them; make a fuss over them; present them with kick-ass insights; make them laugh or cry; show them you care – it's all pretty simple really. Brands that get it, stop selling and start building relationships, and relationships generally lead to trust which generally … well, you get the picture. Think of the power this gives you. Done correctly you get "engaged" and go off into the future getting married and having a lifelong relationship together. Maybe even a couple of kids. So are you a good date? Oh, look at the time. I must visit the men's room.   About the author: Phil Gayter Phil worked as a creative director at global giants Leo Burnett and Euro RSCG in Chicago. He currently has a brand and creative consultancy Brandstorm, and helps clients of all sizes find their voice and correct pant size.   This article was first published by Phil Gayter

CREATIVE PLAY AND REJECTING THE DON DRAPER SCHOOL OF IDEA GENERATION

CREATIVE PLAY AND REJECTING THE DON DRAPER SCHOOL OF IDEA GENERATION By Ellie Hubble on May 09, 2018 07:00 am What does it mean to be "creative"? To be an "ideas person"? Or to be "artistic"? They're just words aren't they? Devoid of any real meaning. As a Contenty-copywriter type, I often (to my delight) get pulled into creative meetings or idea generation sessions, as it is assumed I'll be a valuable contributor. And whilst I'd love to think that's all on me, in reality, I think it's because my job role allows me to be "creative". It is expected.   Creativity belongs to us all Creativity is not a talent, it is an active craft. It's all about being able to shift perspective and solve problems. And it isn't and shouldn't be pigeonholed to one industry or role. Dave gets it: "Creativity isn't a particular discipline. It's the quality of originality and unexpectedness that you bring to whatever you do." – Dave Trott in Creative Mischief   The importance of playfulness It's hard to actually define creativity, but in my opinion, it centres around playfulness. A quick check on Google offers "frivolity", "silliness" and even "monkey business" as possible synonyms. But I mean playful in terms of toying with or manipulating something, pulling it apart and patching it back together.   Being playful in the workplace isn't frivolous or silly, but a way of solving problems cleverly or building something that is original, whatever the project.   I did a module a few years back at university on Holocaust Literature which was as brutal as it sounds but fascinating. I did well on the final exam with the positive feedback that I had explored the books in question "playfully".   I learnt that playfulness doesn't have to be silly, but that it's a method of finding new angles and ideas, whatever the subject matter.   The battle for the Great Idea Playfulness may be a good method of "achieving" creativity, but it doesn't guarantee results. When Mad Men's Creative Director, Don Draper, isn't drinking or engaging in light misogyny, he broods away in his office until the idea miraculously comes to him.   "There is no algorithm that can tell us where it will come from and when it will hit". – Tim Brown in Change by Design   Draper solves the day by having the ever-coveted lightbulb moment. But this is such bullshit. A fully-formed idea by one person is very rare. Also, the notion that there is one great idea is ridiculous.   In reality, idea generation is a lengthy process, involving a mix of different people and many, many, many iterations.   "To have a good idea, you must first have lots of ideas". Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry   Instead of ruthlessly pursuing the Great Idea, like a mighty but pointless hunt for Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster, we should play our way to the Right Idea.   Who's with me?     About the author: Ellie Hubble Ellie is a creative strategist and writer, currently working as a copywriter for an eclectic mix of agencies and brands. When she's not writing or cooking up ideas, she can usually be found exploring the city or escaping from it to the countryside. You can follow her latest posts at Dazed but Amused and follow her on Twitter @ellie_hubble. This article was first published by Ellie Hubble The post CREATIVE PLAY AND REJECTING THE DON DRAPER SCHOOL OF IDEA GENERATION appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas What Does the Word Copywriter Mean in 2018? No time for blogging? Four easy steps forward The Top 5 Smart Drugs for Writers

How this “Accident” became one of the most famous logos in the world

How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world By Rick Siderfin on May 02, 2018 07:00 am Business owners commonly spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fine-tune their logo and brand, so it may come as a surprise to learn how the simple design that is now worth over $26 billion came into being. Here's the story of how the first Nike running shoes were created, and how the iconic "swoosh" became the official logo of what is now one of the most valuable companies in the world. Way back when I was growing up, if I went to buy sneakers, I had four choices; Converse low-top, high-top, in either black or white. That was it. There was no Adidas. There was no Puma. There were no running shoes. Bill Bowerman was a running coach and the founder of what would become Nike (pronounced ny'-kee, after the Greek goddess of victory) – one of the most known brands in the world. At the time, though, Bill wasn't concerned with becoming a multi-billion dollar global sports retailer. He just wanted shoes that would help his runners perform better. One day, his wife was preparing waffles for breakfast, and she poured the batter into the waffle iron. He said, "Wait a second." He came home that afternoon after track practice, and he brought this liquid rubber stuff, and he poured it into the waffle iron and it hardened. He said, "This is going to be the sole of my new running shoe." The first Nike running shoe was a waffle sole. He was supported by Phil Knight, who was one of his graduate students, and together they started this running shoe manufacturer. I once met a woman who was the author of one of the first books about the history of Nike. I asked her: "What was their secret in terms of marketing?" She replied: "You know, these people knew nothing about marketing. They were all track coaches and runners. They knew nothing about marketing, but they thought they did."   The story about the Nike swoosh is they were up against a deadline and they had a half-hour left.   They had to come up with a logo. They had six designs to go with. Under pressure to make a decision, Phil Knight said "Let's go with the swoosh. I don't love it, but I think it will grow on me." It was almost by chance that this design was selected from the shortlist. It wasn't due to long, serious research, or focus groups, or market research. The graphic design student who came up with it was paid $25 for her work, and Nike sent the designs to the factory in Mexico to produce their first batch of waffle-sole sports shoes with the now-famous "swoosh" design on the side. The moral of the story? I guess it's not to obsess over the details of how your brand looks (or, worse still, indulge in multiple "rebrands") but rather on your product and your target market. That's why Nike become so successful – they were utterly focussed on the wants and needs of their target market. They told stories. They got people who were in the media spotlight to wear their brand. They really did "just do it!" – you could say, they were just practicing what they (still) preach!   About the author: Rick Siderfin Rick Siderfin is a husband, dad of 3, and copywriter who lives and works in Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds. He is the founder of Vortex Content Marketing, a company founded with one simple objective: to help you get noticed online. This article was originally published by Rick Siderfin The post How this "Accident" became one of the most famous logos in the world appeared first on . Read in browser » Recent Articles: Design and copy: dance partners not petulant divas What Does the Word Copywriter Mean in 2018? No time for blogging? Four easy steps forward The Top 5 Smart Drugs for Writers 7 communication habits that will make everyone, including you, happier