Wonder Words of Wisdom

Have you ever been on a date with someone who talks incessantly about themselves and hogs the conversation? Every second word coming out of their mouth is ‘me,’ or ‘I,’ or ‘my’. Every time you say something, they yawn or turn the conversation back to themselves. It’s all about them baby and you know it. It doesn't take long for you to find an excuse to flee, convinced that this person is too in love with himself or herself to have a relationship with anything but the mirror.

It might sound like a strange analogy but writing for your customers is like going on a date. While the customer wants to know about your business and the products and services you offer, their main aim is to find out whether you can give them what they want. It’s not about impressing them with big words and fancy sounding phrases – bottom line is that it’s about what you can do for them.

Here are 5 simple tips:

• Before writing, make a list of benefits customers get from using your products or services and include the most unique ones in your copy.
  
• Avoid clichés— every business says they provide great customer service but...
  
• Rewrite your sentences using the word ‘you’ rather than ‘we’ - you want to talk to customers, not at them.
  
• Never use a big word when a simple word will do – you aim is to communicate your message to a broad audience.
  
• Be direct & say what you mean.
  

Just like dating, the aim is to find someone with whom you can have a successful, ongoing relationship. And any relationship is built (or not) on the words you use.

Labels: writing for business

// posted by Wonder Words @ 11:59 AM