Vol. II, Issue 6– 20 March 2007
Editor & Publisher: Tracey Dooley

Welcome, to 174 new subscribers! Please help us grow together and forward this issue to any friends, peers and associates you think would benefit. Thanks!

In this month's success-packed edition:

• Publisher's Preamble
• One of the Best Ways to Market Your Business
• 10 Easy Ways To Polish Your Business Writing
• About the Word Doctor
• How to Earn Money the Effortless Way
• Business-building Marketplace

This is going to be a short newsletter – as I’m still struggling to sit still for more than 10 minutes. No, it’s not hyperactivity, although I have often been accused of that after five chocolates too many! Nope, this is following my fall, and the break in my back.

(You don’t what happened? Where have you been?!)

Again, I’d like to say a huge thank you for all your thoughts and well-wishes – I really was touched by everyone’s kind gestures. And the flowers. And the cards. And the chocolates (see, maybe there is an element of hyperactivity from these after all!). I’d love to say keep ‘em coming, but that would be greedy!

For those who still don’t know what I’m going on about, I broke my back a few weeks ago while trying out a new horse. Needless to say I didn’t go for the horse, although it wasn’t his fault, really. For anyone thinking of continuing horse-riding or sending off their children for lessons, PLEASE don’t let this put you off; I use to ride up to 5 hours every day as a youngster, and took the most ridiculous risks while not even wearing a hat (it sends shivers through me now just thinking of it all) and I was fine. It’s just that accidents happen, whether you are riding a horse, a bike, driving to the countryside, or simply crossing the road.

With regards to horse riding, I’d say I’d definitely recommend at least two things:

1. Always, always wear a hard hat that complies with the latest safety standards. I wear a skullcap, and it saved my life.
2. Investing in and wearing a level-3 body protector is more than worth its money. This also saved my life, according to the orthopaedic surgeons, and you can’t put a price on a life, really, can you?
Oops! I said I’d keep this short and sweet, didn’t I? Got carried away. Apologies.

Have a Business? Then You’ll Need to Read This

This month’s feature article is on a topic that is close to my heart: business writing. Even if you outsource all your business writing, or you’d rather stab your pencil in a mug of coffee than write with it, business writing is something that you can’t ignore. Well, you can, but at your peril. Thankfully, this month’s feature includes easy-peasy tips anyone can put into practice today for a better business tomorrow. Clichéd, I know, but I am on zillions of painkillers you know!

Anyway, I hope to get back to a full-length, all-feature CfS next issue. Till then, please keep checking my blog, as I’ll be popping in some reader Q&As (that’s you, dear subscribers!), as well as some top tips, industry news and more.

Here is the feed to bookmark: feed:http:// marketingmoment.wordpress.com/feed/.

Let me know what you think! And do tell me about your experiences with blogs.

Keep well, and be sure to enjoy every single minute of every single day as best you can – life really is too short.

Tracey

PS Are you taking advantage of your F'REE CfS subscriber ad? There are only 1-2 free slots per issue. Send yours here. Please make sure you keep it to a maximum of 5 lines, 65 characters per line (including your URL or email address). Copy deadline for the next issue is 12 February.

PPS Please add 'tracey [at] mediaminister [dot] co [dot] uk' to your whitelist or address book in your email program, so that you always receive your issues!

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One of the best ways to market a business – especially if you're just starting out – is to set up joint ventures (JVs). This is where you partner with other businesses to sell your services or products to their customers or prospects. There are two main ways of doing JVs: a) let your JV partners introduce what you’re selling to their customers for a set price, or, b) let them join your affiliate programme and earn commission for each service or product sold through them.

Got a tip or resource you'd like to share? Email it to me and I'll include it in a future issue of Communiqué for Success!

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Everyone's busy, busy, busy these days. So just how do you make sure people stop to read what you've got to say? Easy - follow these tried-and- proven copywriting techniques...

1. Have something to write about.

Sounds obvious. But you'd be surprised how many business letters and the like I've come across that don't really say anything. Stop and think before you begin to write. Brainstorm a little. Then jot down the main points you want to make. You can't write clearly if you're not clear in your mind about what you want to write about. Keep rambling strictly to open fields.

2. Speak up. Speak out!

Writing is based on speech. So write your words as if you were speaking them. Better still, imagine you're talking to someone you know. That's not to say you should wax lyrical about your new car or your recent trip to Europe. Remember, you are always a company representative of some sort. Focus on writing sincerely and openly, and with an upbeat tone. Finish by reading it aloud. That way, your copy should be compelling, involving and flow fluently. If you stumble over parts, re-write those bits.

3. Be a somebody, not a nobody.

You want to grab your reader's attention, not put them to sleep, right? Use your personality. "But I haven't got one!" Then invent one. Aim to sound fresh, lively, bold, fun. Just don't hide behind formal, stuffy third- person language. And avoid Dickensian or Joycean language terms - such as 'herewith' and 'amongst' - like the plague. This is the 21st century, you know!

4. Respect your audience.

Your readers are probably short on time, and have 1,001 things to do besides reading your prose. So cut to the chase. Use the first sentence or two to tell them why they should read further. In addition, bear in mind that writing for your customers requires a different approach than writing for employees, co- workers or bosses.

5. Keep it short.

In business, time is valued dearly. And time is money. So ditch that 10-page statement and write tight. Copywriters tend to be brisk writers. We've got to be - if we want to hold our reader's interest. Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Varying the lengths makes for easier reading, and will avoid boring your reader. Generally, it's best to stick to one main idea per sentence. Don't be afraid to break the rules, either. Fragments are fine. They're snappy when used correctly.

6. Keep it simple.

It worked for McDonald's, and it's still relevant today: Keep It Simple, Stupid. That means no clever writing, no metaphors, no foreign words, no distractions, and certainly no fibs. Write factually and to the point, using everyday language whenever possible. By ditching jargon, legalistic and fancy words, you'll avoid alienating or bewildering your reader. If you must use technical terms, be sure to explain what they mean.

7. Ready? Steady? Action!

Choose the active voice, not the passive. For example, change "It was written by me" to "I wrote it." Add benefits for added impact. "You profit from our years of experience." This approach will keep your target audience emotionally involved, creating desire for your product, service or other offering.

8. On the watch (out).

Good business writing is accurate, precise, specific and reliable. Don't pore over the details. Just get them right! Editing is all about refining your work to ensure your message is clear. Check for inconsistencies, repetition, and ambiguity. Watch out for punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors, too. These simply confuse your reader. Worse, they can kill a sale or destroy your message. So be sure to fix any problem areas. Re-write if you have to, but do check what you have written. Don't trust yourself to edit properly? Hire a freelance editor or proofreader. It's a surprisingly cost-effective solution.

9. Get feedback.

Show your final draft to someone you trust. You can learn a lot from how they react. Besides, there is always room for improvement. Too afraid to reveal your prose? Give it the overnight test. You'll be amazed at how different things seem the next day. It will give you space to have a clearer idea of what you should be saying.

10. Be positive.

Instead of, "We don't have the widest experience," try "We have the right skills to provide the right solutions for you." Negative statements do little other than demean or discourage the reader. Make use of positive statements. And be positive in your writing abilities. You'll soon find you are writing informative, persuasive, order-generating, or sales-clinching copy.

By implementing these easy tips into your business writing – both internal and external – you should find that not only is your communication clearer, but they have a positive impact on your overall results, too.

By Tracey "Word Doctor" Dooley, Creative Consultant | PR Guru | Marketing Diva.

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Tracey "Word Doctor" Dooley is an experienced copywriter and PR/marketing & editorial consultant. She has spent almost 14 years crafting compelling communications copy that successfully sells, informs or entertains.

She can remove the hassle of writing, editing and producing all your marketing communications – including general business writing, web content, sales letters, postcard campaigns, direct mail packages, brochures, ads, PR materials and more. She can ghostwrite your business articles, too.

Just let her know a little about yourself (who you are, which company you own/work for, the size of your company, your industry), which service you require, the type of copy you’re interested in (ads, mailings, etc.), and she’ll get right back to you.

Get in touch via the online form at www.mediaminister.co.uk/contact.htm or email her your full brief and any supporting documentation.

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Disclaimer: Neither Tracey Dooley nor MediaMinister endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of any third-party advertisements in this e-newsletter. Rest assured, advertisers are carefully selected and sometimes personally known, which can only be a good thing for you! However, I simply can’t (and don’t) investigate the legitimacy, validity or legality of any item advertised. It therefore always makes sense to check each one out using your own diligence.

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