8/15/2023-Writing Skills

Buyers may not notice good writing, but they’ll notice if you’re sloppy and lazy. You’ll land in the middle if you focus your business writing like you’re creating a thesis for an advanced degree.

"Take a look at the prposal get back with ?s – I’m happy to help."

WHAT? (Of course you would never write that.)

Two vital elements of the sales game are based on writing skills: email and proposals. You don’t need fancy stats to tell you what you know about both: buyers don’t read your emails and only skim your proposals.

So why pay attention at all to developing your writing skills?

Because first, you’re a professional. Second, you operate in a world of incrementality. If one more person reads your email, and if that person spends *five more minutes with your proposal, that could make the difference in making your number this year.

Today, assume your 9th-grade high school English teacher is hanging over your shoulder when you’re writing an email.

(Sobering thought, huh?)

Seriously, you know the rules to writing: write, edit, write, edit, write, edit …rinse, repeat! It’s no different when it comes to emails and proposals.

You understand emails and proposals don’t close business, but if executed properly, they create conversations. And conversations lead to business.

Today, slow down and re-read your notes, proposals, and any sales collateral going out the door. Does your English teacher approve?

The difference between average and good writing is time.

If you put in the time to create drafts, edit your work, and then re-write, you’ll typically create something cogent, smart, and comprehensible.

Email writing requires a blend of casual tone with brevity and a touch of cleverness (if you carry a license for such a thing):
Tone: Don’t write as if you’re their best friend, yet don’t write like an attorney, either. And, pick your spots to go for humor…what can you lose? They’re probably not reading it anyway. (Ahhh, but they are, and will read if you connect on the humor thing.)
Brevity: Headline news only. You’re not paid by the word.
Cleverness: In limited doses, it goes a long way. The key is to figure out how much and when. This is when a friend’s eye helps you decide.

Proposal writing borrows some of the same themes as what’s needed for effective email writing, mostly the brevity angle.

Take 12 minutes with Adam Benn on this eloquent and positive appraisal of business writing, and you will be inspired to put extra time – and confidence – into your written communication.

In this Ted Talk, Adam claims poor writing costs US businesses billions of dollars a year and often derails career progress.

Realizing your professional aspirations means spending time on all facets of your game.