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| Home | Business writing | Consumer | Debt | Writing tuition | Genealogy | Ghostwriting | Shop | Bookshop | Contact | Search site | Business Advice with 35 years' experience (see also Office Services) Would
you like help with your business profitability, efficiency or documentation?
None of my help will cost you
a fortune (I charge expenses only), but it may save you one. [1] How the right words can make you more profitable We all use words to make people understand who we are, what we sell, how we operate. The right words - whether on product literature, labels, advertising, websites, reports, training materials or press releases - are essential. These words are often the only contact you have with your customers, and how customers respond to them makes the difference between whether they buy from you or from some other company. This became increasingly clear to me in my 21 years in industry. Since 1990 I have been working freelance, helping companies far and wide to improve the way they communicate. First I convinced them that by using the right words they could make more profit. Then I helped them to find the right words to achieve it. It's as simple as that. On this page you will find some examples of what I mean. Have a look, then feel free to contact me about it. I will happily discuss any aspect of business writing with you, free of obligation. Then, if I can help you improve your profitability by improving the words you use, we can discuss that, too. [2] Plain English I agree. People speak using plain English. So why, especially in business, do we write:
as if we're trying to win a prize in a competition? I like to be brief and to the point. It carries more weight and sincerity. It is easier to understand. It is less likely to be ignored. It avoids confusion. It can even avoid litigation. Plain English should be like a road sign or a newspaper headline - it should grab your attention. I can review all your company literature (see below), including your website, for plain English. It will probably save you a great deal of money. [3] Advertising Does advertising work? Yes, if you use the right words. Advertising is the key to new business. Whether in a website, press release, phone call or direct mailing, the words you use are vital. You need to say the right things, in the right way, to the right people. Using your strong points in the market place, and what it is about your products or services that is unique, I can suggest words that are persuasive, unambiguous and interesting. Writing a job advert is another area in which I can help, too. Look at this extract from a published job advert: "... seeks a talented Managing Editor to create, publish and oversee a savvy new magazine quality newsletter as part of an innovative, independent enterprise to be subsidised by the company. The purpose of the newsletter will be to disseminate the company's news, information and opinions via a vibrant in-print vehicle designed to cover the rapidly expanding company activities and to provide a high quality forum to expand theme issues. The position will provide a very exciting and attractive start-up opportunity for an entrepreneurial writer/editor/manager." I thought it was a joke, published as it was in a magazine issued on 1st April. It wasn't a joke. Let me help you do better. Contact
me about the right words for your advertising.
[4] Company literature For a professional view of what your literature actually says, ask me. My advice is constructive and suggestions for change always practical. I can help with all your company literature, including your website, technical data, public relations, brochures, labelling and manuals. Many companies find customer communication daunting. It's not easy dealing with customers. They constantly complain, can't find you, can't park, can't get you on the phone, can't understand how to use the product and can't get decent after-sales service - and it's the ones who don't complain that are the biggest worry. They just go elsewhere. It's a dilemma, common to every business in the world. You don't have time to think about customer communication because you're too busy working, yet it's the most important aspect of your business. I can solve the dilemma. I can make a difference to your business and put you ahead of the rest. Unlike many consultants, I look at the whole of your business writing, from initial enquiries to after-sales service, to help you establish an identity which is easy to maintain. In short, to ensure you stand out from the crowd. Contact me
if you would like a free review of your company literature or website.
[5] Presentations, talks & speeches "A
hen is only an egg's way of making another egg." (Samuel Butler) As Samuel Butler did, why not apply some lateral thinking? Making a presentation of any kind should not be a daunting prospect. All it needs is proper preparation in respect of [1] structure, balance and interesting facts or observations in the content, and [2] timing and pace in the delivery. Then it will be memorable. If you want to hear how great speeches and talks sound, listen to the masters - Hoffnung, Kennedy, Brian Walden, AJP Taylor, and even Ronnie Corbett. You may not have their following, or their talent, but you can learn a great deal from their style. There are ways to make the most mundane subject fascinating, with or without visual aids. Don't settle for a mumbled offering, given reluctantly, as quickly as possible, and in total panic. Come to me for the right words. Whether it's for a presentation at work, audition, dinner speech, public meeting or any other occasion, I can help you feel confident when you rise to your feet. If it's worth hearing, you will enjoy saying it. I can make it worth hearing. Contact me if you'd like me to help you prepare a presentation, talk or speech. [6] Product labels
& information AVOID LITIGATION -- CUT CUSTOMER SERVICES COSTS -- IMPROVE SALES The information that goes out with your products is often the only contact you have with your customers. Less-than-clear information alienates existing customers and puts off potential new ones. Sometimes you don't see the faults because you're too close. To get an experienced and unbiased view of what you are actually saying to your customers, come to me. My first impressions are free, and you need do no more about it, but if you do want to take it further, you can do so with confidence in my skills - skills which are equally applicable to a multinational company or a local solicitor (I have helped both, and many in between). For a fraction of what you will save in goodwill and increased sales, I can look at all your information, on-pack or off-pack, and help you establish a consistent, easily-understandable style. Or I can train you to do it yourself. You only have to look at popular magazines to see how often companies are made to look foolish over the nonsense that sometimes appears in product labelling or information. By getting it right, you will avoid ridicule, confusion (and possibly litigation), and you will dramatically reduce your customer services costs. If you want to do some background reading before you decide, take a look at the synopsis of Label Writing & Planning - A guide to good customer communication by going to my For Sale page. The book is uncompromising, fun, practical and tremendous value (and you can buy it through amazon.com). Contact me if you would like to discuss how you could revitalise your product labels and information. (Go to my
home page for details of other services) |