High Impact Written Communication

While it's true that writing and speaking on the phone are different forms of communication, the fact remains that either one is equally affected by your state of mind at the moment you are either speaking or writing copy.

As simple as it may sound, smile and your writing can quickly and easily go from a boring diatribe that drones on and on to copy that's exciting to read, has emotional juice and most importantly, makes the sale! When you speak on the telephone and you're in a somber, indifferent kind of mood, what do you sound like? I'll bet you don't sound excited! So would it make sense then that if you were to sit down and write copy in a less than excited mood, your copy might not be too exciting?

While it's true that writing copy and speaking on the phone are different forms of communication, the fact remains that either one is equally affected by your state of mind at the moment you are either speaking or writing copy.

So how do you put yourself into an excited, passionate state of mind before writing? Well, there’s no cookie-cutter answer to that question. What excites you? I mean, what REALLY excites you? Is it a favorite song? Is it dancing? How about a combination of dancing and singing? How about pretending you were a super rock star on stage in front of thousands of raving fans? Find whatever it is that really juices you and use it to get you up and going now!

You see, it may all sound a little odd, but in order to be able to write with passion, you've got to first feel that passion in your body! To do that, you've got to get up out of your chair, get excited and create all kinds of energy in your body.

Try it now--yes, you can do it. Close the door to your office. Flip on the radio to your favorite station, or pop in your favorite cassette. Now crank it up, get up and dance and sing as if you were on stage in front of thousands of raving fans! How would you dance? What gestures would you use? Would you make noises? Do whatever you'd do on that stage, but enjoy it and take it to a level you've never been to before!

Now, sit back at your computer or typewriter (you still use a typewriter?). But don't sit down and slump back into your seat!! Sit up straight. Sit on the edge of your seat! Just as you would if you were intensely involved in a great thriller of a movie--because your copy is just that, a thriller!

Now, picture yourself staring straight at your prospect. What would you say to them? How would you say it? Would you be passive or would you be excited about your product? Begin typing this stuff as fast as you can with tons of energy, passion, and emotion!

Don't' stop typing until you have completely exhausted your stream of consciousness thinking! And I mean completely! Don't stop for at least 15 minutes!! Even when you hit a point where you don't know what else to say, pretend you do and keep going!! This is so important because your best material comes out AFTER you have exhausted what you at first may have thought was your best stuff!!

Now, take a deep breath. Sit back and print out what you have just typed. Grab that hard copy (never try reading from your computer screen, you'll miss hundreds of mistakes!). Stand up and read your copy OUT LOUD! That's right, read it out loud as if you were delivering a speech!

You did want to know how to write "WOW!" copy didn't you? Review and correct your copy until it reads as smooth as speaking. You've just done it. You've created copy that has emotion, passion, and most of all excitement!

There are also a few more conventional strategies you can use to improve the impact of your written communication:

1. Target your writing

It is essential to have a clear idea of who your reader is. You should know why he or she is going to be reading your piece, where and when they will be reading it, and what they will want to get out of it. Knowing this, and knowing what information you want to convey allows you to decide an aim for the article. You should focus all decisions on content, structure, style and presentation on meeting this aim.

2. Preparing an outline

Once you have decided the aim of the article, you are ready to prepare an outline. This allows you to start to organize the information in an article into a coherent structure. If you start writing without an outline you are in danger of producing a disorganized, chaotic mess that confuses your reader and fails to make the desired connections in his or her mind.

An effective way of producing an outline is to open up a Word Processor document and to type in the facts that you have decided to include. You can then cut and paste these notes into related groups, and order these groups in a way that supports your argument.

Once you have selected information and organized a structure, prepare an outline of the introduction and summary. The shape of these should be obvious from the structure you have given your information. The introduction should help the reader to prepare an overall structure into which the information in the article can be fitted. The summary should organize the facts in the middle of the article into a coherent whole.

3. Write, write, write!

When you have prepared your outline, it is time to start writing! The easiest way of doing this is just to let the words and ideas flow. Move quickly through the piece without editing or reviewing it. This will help to keep your creativity flowing without it being crippled by self-criticism.
Only when you have finished a section should you review it. At this stage you may decide to reorganize it, edit it, change it around, and add or delete information. As you review it you should check that what you have written meets the aim you set and gives the reader the information they want.

4. Use appropriate Style

The style of the article should be completely focused on the reader's needs. Language used should be pitched at the appropriate level for the reader. People generally prefer information presented in short sentences with little or no jargon. You may be tempted to write in a way that you think will impress your readers, using long words and complex sentences. All this shows is that you are not able to communicate ideas clearly and simply. It is likely that material written like this will not be read at all.
If you need to use technical language that may not be understood, include a glossary. Remember that you have responsibility for the clarity, effectiveness and focus of your communication. Beyond this, style will emerge on its own without you needing to worry about it.

Summary

  • If you want to write high-impact copy, put yourself into a passionate, excited, high-impact state of mind first!

  • Know who you are writing for, and what they will want from your writing. Once you know this you should know precisely the level you are writing at and what information to include.

  • Prepare an outline to give structure to your piece. An effective way of doing this is to transfer notes into a WP document, and then cut and paste words and sections into a coherent form.

  • Include an introduction and summary to help readers structure information in their minds.

  • When you write, try to let words and ideas flow. Only edit and review a section once you have completed its first draft. As you review it, ensure that the material meets the aim you set for the piece.

  • The style of the piece should be focused on the readers needs. Avoid trying to impress people with your knowledge.

Remember that the responsibility for effective communication lies with you!

Whether your training need is small and focused, or enterprise-wide, you can count of Frontline Learning to deliver. For more than 20 years we have been helping organizations achieve their business objectives with targeted training initiatives.