Magneto_ezine_29_Letter_Email_Proposal

Can't read this? Click here
We hope our monthly writing tips help you.
If you'd like to unsubscribe, the link is at the end of the email.

Below:
1. Are your templates traitors?
2. Public writing masterclasses: Brisbane/Sydney
3. "My Golden Writing Tip" (101 tips) a hit!

Are your templates traitors?

Are your templates sabotaging your business? Using template letters, emails and proposals saves time, but if they're written poorly, you damage your reputation, credibility and brand every time you use one.

Here's a good (bad!) example, from The Sydney Morning Herald's Column 8:

A reader wrote, saying, "I reeled with amazement recently at an email I received from one of my financial institutions following an enquiry. I received an immediate response, which one supposes is automatically sent, which read:

'We thank you for your inquirey [sic] and we assure you your matter will be investigated with as much immediately as soon as possible. As soon as we have a response we will email you the results and email you to let you know we have emailed you.'"

Lesson 1: At least read what you're sending!

Several of our clients have kicked off the year by having us review their templates. They're often stunned by the problems we find — yet they've blindly sent them to clients and prospects countless times.

What to look for

This list isn't exhaustive, but we commonly find these problems in company templates:

Structure — Is the "big news" first, or does it need a different structure, e.g. a persuasive one?
Brevity — Is it long-winded or concise?
Plain English — Does it make you sound like an 18th-Century lawyer?
Headlines/subheads — Are they relevant, attention-getting, and reader-centric?
Correctness — Does it have grammatical or punctuation errors, or typos?

Have you seen a shocker example of business writing? Do tell, on our blog!

Paul sig



	101 tips eBook (free) GPS for readers Video: Writing to Persuade Dumb Distractions Writing with Google Better reader = better writer Pyramid Power Hyphen Syphon To space or not two space? Know thy readers Exterminating errors Tone up your flabby phrases Writing in your underpants Apostrophe catastrophe Make it rare to get “Well done!” Writing for sheep Keep it short, sport Fat-free writing ALL back issues

BRAIN GYM: Arrest the traitors!

I'd love to say you can do this, but if you've been using your templates for a while, you're probably blind to problems with the content. You really need someone with fresh eyes.

How to ensure your templates do good, not evil:

Find a good writer (OK, Magneto would do)
Give them your template letters, emails, proposals, etc
In bullets, tell them the objective/s of each piece, and in a nutshell what you're trying to communicate
Set them loose on them!

Public writing masterclasses: Brisbane/Sydney

Professional writing masterclass: "Get it Write"

"Your writing program is the most impressive I've seen in 20 years. It's had some of the best feedback of any program we've run here."
HR Manager, Kell & Rigby

Make 2010 the year you take your writing to a new level!

Our professional writing masterclasses are crammed with tips and techniques that copywriters use to write engaging, influential copy. Seats have already started selling, so if interested, book quickly (classes limited to 10 people).

Learn more about the course here.

11 March - Brisbane: Details

18 March - Sydney: Details

Prefer an in-house course?

"My Golden Writing Tip" (101 tips) a hit!

People all over the world are loving
our new eBook!

Did you get yours? It's free, and is packed with 101 brilliant writing tips that we collected from smart businesspeople.

Get yours now
(free to e-zine readers)

Magneto Communications Pty Ltd
PO Box 379, Lane Cove, Sydney NSW Australia 1595.
Phone (02) 9427 3127 Fax (02) 9427 1327

www.magneto.net.au
Got a comment?

Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Update your details

Your email is safe with us: We'll never sell, display or give your email address away.
We'll email you purely with information and ideas to give you better writing results.