Improve your business writing

Writing business copy should be straightforward - but we often fail to achieve our objective. In fact we often write it before we even have an objective at all!

Take time to read a business writing book (there are oodles of them out there) or surf the web for some on-line tips. In the meantime...

10 great tips:

1. start with the goal in mind
2. look at things from the reader's standpoint
3. write as you would speak
4. keep it really simple - don't use complex words or jargon where a simple word or phrase would do.
5. people love bullet points and lists (top 10 tips...)
6. scan your promotional copy and see how ego-centric is it. Is your text laced with references to 'I', 'we', 'us'? Readers aren't really interested in you - they want to know how YOU can make life better for THEM.
7. read it out loud to someone after you've written it - then seek their opinion (someone you trust, someone who will tell you straight!)
8. check it carefully for typos - some of the biggest whoppers appear in the HEADLINES
9. in sales writing, put 90% of your effort into the headline and the call-to-action.
10. tap into the emotional motivators of the reader.

Empathise with your customers

Great story on the news today about a campaign within Nissan to make car designers understand the needs of their customers better. While designers are mostly in their 20's and 30's, a large proportion of the buying audience are ageing baby boomers - there's an empathetic gap!

To bridge that divide, Nissan has introduced a special suit to be worn by their car designers which simulates some of the mobility problems experienced by their target audience. The suits stiffens flexibility, simulates eyesight disorders and even creates uneven leg length!

The car industry may be in crisis but any move to understand the needs of consumers better should be applauded - a classic recession-proofer!

Facts Tell, Stories Sell

This title is something I picked up from the Andy Bounds book 'The Jelly Effect'. He writes some fantastic stuff about effective communication and the art of persuasion.

Stories are magical when it comes to getting buy in and striking a cord with your audience.

Listen to Ira Glass on story telling. In this sequence he talks about 2 things -

• First, the power of anecdotal sequencing (simply one thing in story leading to another and other).
• Second, the point of reflection - in other words, what's the POINT of the story?

When you're looking to convey a message and get buy-in, use storytelling as a key tool. If you simply give them facts it's a lecture. But with a great (and relevant) story you grab interest, hold your audience, gain empathy and PERSUADE.

Adapt your business

Lisa Tse is a highly respected businesswoman and Chief Executive of the Sweet Mandarin restaurant in Manchester's Northern Quarter. I was interested to read in the Crain's business publication that she's looking to launch a full-time cookery school, following the success of some weekend classes.

= new income stream.
= complementary product.
= more customer 'stickiness'.

A fantastic innovation - I wish you every success.

Recession or Recalibration?

I was interested to hear both Tom Peters and Steve Yastrow refer to the recession as a 'recalibration'. People are still doing business - buying and selling stuff. But while the sales were rolling in perhaps it was just too easy to sell a product that wasn't as good as it could be or as well positioned or as cleverly marketed?

Well now things have changed.

It's a bit like your referrals strategy. In days gone by you might get recommended by your clients just because you were a decent sort who did a solid job. But it's a lot more competitive now. Good is expected and won't get anyone excited. Do 'extraordinary' and you'll get people talking.

The dodo got into trouble when new predators came on the scene. Get smarter, fitter, leaner and faster - or risk extinction.

Adapt and thrive

I bumped into a friend of mine yesterday, someone who epitomises all that's best about adaptability and niche marketing. David Edwards is a former PGA European Tour golf pro who's developed a fantastic trick shot show. He entertains people the world over with an extraordinary array of amazing shots - using some unlikely equipment! And when his own brand of 'golf commentary' is laid over the video footage of your corporate golf day, the results are hilarious.

Pro sport is an interesting field, forcing most participants to give up when they lose their edge and pursue other work. Some really struggle but the more enterprising develop some new concept and find a niche. In some respects the smaller the niche the better - something that's tough to copy but brings high value. Take a look at one of Seth Godin's blog items on this very subject - Make the World Smaller.

How to get people to buy - but not on price

It's interesting watching how businesses respond to this recession. Most are cutting prices. Nearly all are looking to reduce costs. Many are cutting back on their marketing and advertising spend. But they all want the same thing - people willing to spend money on them.

Marketing guru Steve Yastrow poses an interesting question in his blog today - "How can we motivate people to buy for a reason other than price?" We really don't want to slash prices - it's a hard road to get them back up to 'normal' levels. And it's a tough call to throw money at marketing and advertising right now. Yastrow implores us to focus on our customer relationships - and refers to his 'differentiation ladder'. How can you get your customers to think of you as indispensible, even at (especially at) times of recession? He suggests we focus on getting our customers to think of us in terms of a 'we' relationship - and that's a lot easier if they view us as problem-solvers. Clients have all sorts of problems, some of which lie directly within our remit, some don't. But with a customer-focused mind set we can come across as more holistic problem solvers - "I can't directly help you with that but I know someone who can!"

In truth, we don't really sell things - we solve problems. Become your clients' no.1 problem solver and you'll stand out from the rest and become part of a 'we' relationship that sticks.

Too slow for some

Those of you who play golf will be aware of the scourge of slow play. Amateurs copy what they see on the TV and when the pros take 5 hours + for a long walk in a field..well they follow suit. It's strangling the game and very frustrating.

Good news then that one of the UK golfing bodies has scheduled a seminar on tackling slow play and one of my clients was invited to attend. She's slightly concerned though...the session lasts THREE HOURS!

Priceless.

Sell benefits not features

It's a well known maxim in sales training that you sell benefits, not features. Andy Bounds puts it well in his marvellous book 'The Jelly Effect' when he talks about focusing on the 'afters'. Customers aren't interested in how your product works, how long you've been in business for, how many testimonials you have on your web site. They're really interested in how much better life will be AFTER they've used you.

Bounds quotes Thoedore Levitt, an American business professor who pointed out, "People don't want 1/4 inch drill bits, they want 1/4 inch HOLES!"

Hubris Sucks

Take a look at the free pdf by Tom Peters "111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling" (see posting on 31st March 2006). I like the 'Hubris Sucks' pointer.

Definition of 'Hubris' in OED
Noun - excessive pride or self-confidence
Greek derivative (in Greek tragedy - excessive pride towards or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis).

According to Peters, the godfather of management guruism, successful salespeople are:

• always asking questions
• always looking to learn
• insanely curious
• obsessively interested in people

When you walk out the front door, leave hubris at home.

Answers or Questions

Does this sound familiar...

"I'm so busy at the moment. I'm working all the hours under the sun and I'm just managing to pay the bills. I don't sleep too well and my wife and kids tell me I'm no fun to be around anymore. I've just got no time for anything, and sometimes feel like I'm paddling furiously just to stay afloat".

It's a common story amongst business owners. They know things aren't good but they're clinging on to the hope that things will turn around. Perhaps there's some magic answer out there? But maybe they're barking up the wrong tree? Maybe it's not about finding the right answers but ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?

• Is what I'm doing moving me towards my goals?


• Do I actually have any goals?


• Am I enjoying what I'm doing?


• Could someone else do what I'm doing now?


• How is what I'm doing affecting my relationships with people close to me?


• What would happen if I threw out the rule book and started with a blank page?


• How often do I take time to pause and ponder issues like these?

The problem is we're so busy doing the doing that we don't take time out to ask the right questions. Don't wait until a major trauma like a heart attack, divorce or job loss forces you to re-evaluate your work/life balance.

STOP, GET OUT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT, SPEAK TO PEOPLE, ASK LOTS OF 'WHY' AND 'WHAT IF' QUESTIONS - AND RE-EVALUATE.

It could be the best couple of hours you've ever spent.

Getting noticed in business

I've read many business books in my time but one which has really influenced me is Seth Godin's 'Purple Cow'. Its central theme is that if your business is to survive in a crowded marketplace, you should stop pushing your message with heavier promotion and concentrate on making your product or service more remarkable. Less advertising, more innovation.

It reminded me of something I'd seen on the web about a supermarket in the USA who employed a gentleman with Down's Syndrome. His job was to bag the goods at the checkout, hence the nickname - Johnny the Bagger. Now Johnny did something special for his customers which resulted in everyone wanting to visit HIS checkout! To find out more, listen to this story.

Now you may think "Oh, we couldn't possibly do that - it's too 'American', we're just too cynical in this country". Well, think of it simply as an example of differentiation in the marketplace. Those customers DID like what Johnny did and they DID come to him in droves - because it was different and it added value and enhanced their shopping experience.

I was in Sainsbury's the other day and over the tannoy a gent (a real character by the sound of him) read a script which pointed out the 'shame' we should feel if we'd forgotten to buy something for Valentine's Day for our partner. It was all very lighthearted and amusingly delivered and it made all the shoppers giggle and remark to one another.

So take on board Godin's message about remarkable-ness - be a 'Purple Cow' and stand out from the crowd.

Win, win in sales

I was chatting to my niece yesterday and we talked about salespeople. They are, it seems, right up there with estate agents and bankers in the popularity stakes! But that perception is based on the premise that salespeople flog you stuff that you're not really interested in, stuff you don't need.

But as a salesperson you're in the problem-solving business. A sale obviously helps you but it should also be terribly useful for the buyer. It's a win, win on BOTH sides. Being of a sporting persuasion I sometimes talk of the winning mentality in pro sport, and how it can cross over into business. But as Peter Jones of Dragon's Den fame points out, although there are many parallels between sport and business, one key difference is that in sport there's always a winner and a loser. That's the nature of the game. Not so in business - there needs to be an up-side for both parties. That makes for a long lasting and profitable relationship.

Focus and persistence in sales

I came across Geoff Burch's book 'The Way of the Dog'. Burch is a well known business speaker, slightly off the wall but very entertaining - he's done turn-around stuff on the TV for small businesses. I liked his analogy of a sales person as a sheepdog. These animals are surely the most persistent of creatures, selling the proposition to the sheep that it's a really good idea to move over into the pen! Their energy is unbounded, their purpose clear and they get on with the task. Be careful of the failed sheepdog mentality in sales - "I worked really hard on those sheep and almost got them in the pen - honest, they were that close."

From the boardroom to the bedroom!

If you're interested in surviving this recession (and I'm guessing you are) you should certainly read 'The Big Moo', edited by Seth Godin and containing contributions from 33 of the world's leading business thinkers. I loved the section 'Great Ideas in Bed' - a gem for anyone looking to improve levels of customer service, sales, etc...

First, ask your partner what they like.
Then you give it to them.
Then you ask them if they liked it.
If they say yes, do it again....

Wonderful.

Communication in Business

I was chatting yesterday to a gentleman about lines of communication within companies, especially larger ones. He has a lot of experience in this field. We talked about decision-making, how it's not uncommon for CEO's and Chief Execs to be strong characters with egos to match. They'll rule the board room with an iron rod, have a clear idea of where they want the company to go and won't suffer fools gladly. They'll chew someone up who suggests something stupid (their view) and woe betide anyone who has to report bad news. The result? Closed lines of communication and a culture of fear. "Best not tell the boss, just keep your head down".

It reminded me of something I read in Daniel Goleman's book 'Emotional Intelligence' (Bloomsbury), a future subject area for the Skills Forum. He recalls the case of Melburn McBroom, a domineering boss who intimidated his colleagues and constricted the free flow of dialogue. In 1978, his colleagues noticed a problem in the workplace but didn't bring it to his attention for fear of incurring a backlash. Tragically, this had consequences because McBroom was an airline pilot. While coming in to land in Portland, Oregon, the boss struggled with a sluggish landing gear and adopted a holding pattern. Meanwhile, his copilots noticed the fuel gauges were dangerously low but failed to alert him, assuming he already knew. The plane crashed killing 10 people.

Apparently, in 80% of airline crashes pilot error could have been avoided had the crew worked more closely together. Strong companies have open lines of communication, champion innovation and encourage employees to challenge traditional ways of thinking. The leader leads by listening.

Masterful oratory

Who was Salesperson of the Year for 2008? To my mind, Barack Obama wins the title hands down. He has many qualities but I believe his powerful oratory is at the core of his success as a politician. He's a FANTASTIC communicator, following in the footsteps of other great speakers like Clinton, Blair, even Martin Luther King.

We'll be covering presentation skills in our Forums at a future date, studying things like body language (the vast majority of communication is non-verbal), the use of dynamics in the voice (Andy Murray has some work to do here) and the ability to engage with an audience.

The one thing I'd highlight here is the ability of these speakers to empathise with their audience. They say that Clinton, along with other successful speakers, was able to 'feel the pain' of those he addressed. If the audience believes you understand them, really understand them, they'll warm to you and take on board your message.

Remember this when you're selling your message. Make sure you feel the pain of your customers and prospects (make sure THEY know this too) and then tell them how you're going to take it away. Then they'll vote for you!

For some speaking clips of masterful orators, take a look at Obama and Martin Luther King and the best fictional one of them all, Martin Sheen in the West Wing.

Cuddle up to your customers

Now is the time to get close to your customers - really close. Get to know them, understand their world, their issues and their decision-making processes. Add value wherever possible - and broaden that definition of 'possible'. Become viewed as a bringer of solutions, all sorts of solutions. Become indispensible, part of their team.

How? Well we've all got to figure that out for ourselves, but as always you start with some research - that means finding stuff out about THEM. Invert your focus away from your own little world - you're familiar enough with that anyway!

Soft and Hard stuff

Business is about people. Tom Peters reminds us of the importance of people skills over technical competence - passion and attitude over knowledge. I love his saying, "Hard is soft and soft is hard". People with technical skills and knowledge are relatively commonplace. But find someone who lights up a room - that's something worth paying for!

Bold, different and still in business

Interesting piece by Jon Henley in the Guardian today about the Little Bay Restaurant in Faringdon. Properietor Peter Ilic has taken the bold step of removing the charge for food on his customers' bills! You still get charged for drinks but the Serbian restaurateur simply asks his clients to pay what they throught the meal was worth. The 130 seat establishment was serving around 1,100 customers a week before he made the move - now he's up to 2,000 a week and turning people away. He reckons he's done well out of the deal, with some clients leaving £35 for good grub and outstanding service.

In these difficult times, you have to show some courage and differentiate your product. Doing something that's difficult to copy and doing it really well is a great survival tactic in the current climate.

GTY

Steve Farber makes a great point about something that's very close to my heart - coaching people to fulfil their potential. He talks about a concept called 'Greater than Yourself' (GYT), the principle being that your aim as a coach or mentor should be to allow your 'student' to become greater than yourself. This could apply to your role as a parent or a manager or a salesperson.

The problem, he observes, is that this concept gets lost in the workplace. We're so intent on our own agenda and advancing our own interests. But great leaders and the most successful and influential people have always sought to help others reach beyond themselves. It's a paradox - those who focus on helping others become more successful in their own right. Why? You build up good will. You get people on your side. You become a 'pull person', someone to whom people, opportunity and resources naturally gravitate.

So if you're intent on influencing others, focus on helping them solve their problems, achieve their potential and go beyond yourself.

Everyone has to Sell

Selling is everywhere and you can't get away from it. How do you get your teenage son to tidy his room? There's a selling job if ever there was one! Take a look at this short video from the great Tom Peters. If you can sell a message like he does...well the sky's the limit.

Monologue vs Dialogue

I really like the piece by Steve Yastrow on story telling in marketing. He talks about the difference between monologue and dialogue. Too much marketing is monologue - a one-sided story, me telling you about me, my point of view, my agenda. Real marketing is about relationship building and that means starting some dialogue with your target audience. Dialogue is an exploration and you don't know where that conversation will take you. That's what makes it exciting. Observe the people at networking events who attempt to impose their views on you, who talk AT you instead of with you. That's not building a relationship, that's not courtship. It's an irritation.

It ain't what you know, it's the way that you use it

In an earlier Blog I referred one of Seth's truisms that 'domain' is cheap and the real value is in 'process'. In simple terms, knowledge is easy to come by - the web has revolutionised that - but the real deal is what you do with that knowledge.

This sprung to mind today when his latest gem came through about 999 great business ideas. The idea may be fab - but until you nurture it and make it work, it's just an idea.

Answers close to home

We were talking yesterday at the Forum meeting about developing networks and sourcing contacts. It reminded me of something I'd read - in 'The Jelly Effect' by Andy Bounds I think. He was trying for weeks to get hold of a senior decision maker in a company with whom he wanted to work. He'd struggled to get through her gatekeeper at work and really wanted her mobile number to get things moving. At dinner with his parents, he mentioned this problem he was having. "Why didn't you say," his mother exclaimed. "She's in my bridge club!".

It's always tempting to look far afield when many of the answers lie on our doorstep.

Where is your focus?

Someone reminded me today about the power of focus. "You tend to get what you focus on," he said. How true. Imagine getting the instruction, "Don't think of pink elephants!". You'd immediately see the critters floating around in your imagination. NLP practitioners encourage coaches to tell people what they WANT them to do rather than what they shouldn't be doing. 'Don't' instructions often have the opposite effect from what's desired.

But as Anthony Robbins reminds us, by setting clear goals for ourselves we can switch our focus and channel our energies. And what's more, things that complement the achievement of our goals seem to magically gravitate towards us. You start noticing stuff that helps you move towards your objective - but it's almost a subconscious process. It becomes a HABIT.

The wonderful thing about goal setting is that it works, and we hardly even notice it. The problem is, most people don't do it in the first place.

Good reading

If you like reading stuff about business, take a look at the Top 100 Business Books.

Is the customer always right?

Seth Godin puts an interesting slant on the concept of the customer always being WRONG in his blog. The point I'd make here is that it's a really bad idea to expect to help everyone out there with your product or service. Much better to have the confidence to know exactly who it is you help and how...and don't worry about the rest. In fact, pay more attention to those you do currently help and add more value. Be wary of diluting what you do to reach all the others. You lose your identity with an 'appeal-to-all' approach. Remember Woolworths?

It's also easier for people to recommend your business to others when they understand precisely what it is you do. The narrower the niche the better as far as referrals is concerned. Be the best in your field - but make it a back yard rather than a Wembley!

When Less is More

If you've played golf with decent amateur players, you've probably come across the guy who fancies himself as a coach and offers to help you with your game. As a keen student of the game, he probably knows lots of stuff about the golf swing. But the difference between a keen amateur coach and a pro is knowing what NOT to say. Most enthusuastic amateurs off-load all their accumulated knowledge of the game in one go, leaving the recipient confused.

You see the same thing sometimes in business encounters. If you're explaining something about your product or service, don't tell them everything in one go. Less is more. Your objective is to get them to warm to the idea of working with you, make them believe that you've got some answers to their problems, that you understand their situation, that they're likely to benefit using your product or service.

Initially the tease is enough. Keep it really simple then get into the nitty gritty when you meet formally.

Follow or Lead?

I went to a business networking event last week, signed in at main reception and noticed something odd. An earlier visitor had signed in and put 7th Feb when it was actually 5th Feb and the next 4 people had put 7th Feb down too!

Why does it matter? Maybe it doesn't but it got me thinking how some people just follow the crowd and lose the capacity for independent thought. Are you a sheep in the workplace? Do you offer a product or service that's very similar to what your competitors do? If so, you could be in trouble.

Whether you're an employee or a business owner, make yourself indispensible to those that pay you. Stand out from the crowd, do something really special, add tremendous value to your company or your customers and you'll be the last to be dropped when budgets get cut.

Between the Ears

Watching the marvellous Aussie Open tennis final between Nadal and Federer, it struck me what an inspiration these guys are in terms of mental strength. Never giving up, never showing weakness, having the ability to switch tactics when necessary, never doubting their own ability, always looking forward instead of dwelling on mistakes, able to respond to the pressure and raise their game when needed.

What terrific lessons for us all. How do we respond to pressure, to times when things go wrong, when we get rejected, when a plan goes awry, when the unexpected occurs, when things outside our control seem to conspire against us?

If you ever face such situations - and we all do - try this line of thinking...how would a Federer or a Woods or a Redgrave or an Ali respond?

Find inspiration from the sporting greats - when the going gets tough, the tough get going!