Write from the soul, not from some notion what you think the marketplace wants. The market is fickle; the soul is eternal. Jeffrey A. Carver. When I was a kid writing was such a big deal. Teachers taught a formal style of writing that was so intimidating. You were supposed to use big words so you would sound intelligent. I was OK at writing as a kid, but I really didn’t like it. Writing for me was a skill to rely on, a necessary evil. Most of the people I encounter will define themselves as bad writers because they see themselves as those 6th grade kids who hated writing. Was writing hard you as a kid? Is it hard for you now?
Writing is a big part of the job. If you want people to get to know you, you have to write. Blogs, newsletters, emails, they are all part of what it takes to get your story, your brand and your message out into the world.
Do you want to know the secret of writing today? Write conversationally, from your heart, to just one person. You talk all day without getting yourself all whipped up into a frenzy. Effective copy writing is just talking on paper.
OK, so there are a couple of steps and exercises that will help you with this:
First, who are you writing to? You may want thousands of people to read your blog, but it has to feel like it is being written to each one personally. So, who are you writing to? Think about the person who is an exact personification of your ideal customer? Could it be your best friend, your mother, your cousin or a co-worker? Or is she a 50 year old technophobic boomer-preneur? Or a smart dressed 25 year old savvy business owner? Do you have your target person in mind?
OK, now that you have that person in mind, just talk to them. If one person asked you a question about the subject you were writing about, how would you answer them? Write a couple of points that you want to make as bullets and just start speaking from them out loud. Type as you talk. Write from your heart. That’s how your true authenticity will show.
One thing that I have done is actually record myself talking on a subject and then I transcribe what I have said. Or take notes of what you are saying as you talk. One free way to practice this is to go to www.freeconferencecall.com and set up a conference call with just you. Talk in your subject and then an mp3 of the call will be sent to you by email. This is a quick and easy way to create your first audio product as well!
If you don’t have a blog or a newsletter you should. So, don’t let a fear of writing stop you. A simple template for an effective blog or newsletter post is: a: relate the reader, b: provide a helpful tip, and c: call them to a specific action. Telling stories is a simple way to relate to your reader. Your helpful tips should be simple and easy to understand. Ask people to take a step in the direction of your blog topic. That’s all there is too it.
You are a good writer. Now get out there and write something!
Patty Sadallah has 29 years experience as an organization development consultant and executive coach. She is a Dream Partner Catalyst and coaches and consults nonprofits and women owned small business owners around issues of focus and planning, moving them toward her dreams. Find out more about her coaching and consulting at http://www.PattySadallah.com/sq.
She is also the President/Founder of the Redwood Sisterhood, an international women's support community that offers personal and professional development learning opportunities, community bartering through time banking and fun networking events. Here, she brings together the talents and the needs of women and allows these connections to strengthen and uplift the membership. Learn more at (http://www.RedwoodSisterhood.com)
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