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Six essentials for getting prospects and clients to read your message
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Writing Powerful & Profitable Business Communications
Chris John Amorosino
Amorosino Writing, LLCCopyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
A Mystery
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
What Makes A Business Succeed?
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Six Essentials
1. Feed the dog meat, not catnip
2. Fire a laser, not a shotgun
3. Show, don’t tell
4. Forget your target market
5. Command
6. Tell the truth
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
1. Feed the dog meat, not catnip
Write to the
needs of your market
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
2. Fire a laser, not a shotgun
Deliver one key point with strength, not ten points weakly
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
What is the main job of any sentence you write in a
business communication?
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Six Essentials for Powerful Business
Communications
1. Feed the dog meat, not catnip
2. Fire a laser, not a shotgun
3. Show, don’t tell4. Forget your target market
5. Command
6. Tell the truth
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
How Do You React?
• We provide excellent customer service.
• Our product is made from the finest ingredients.
• We offer extremely reasonable rates.
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Claims Without Proof Create Doubt
“Yeah,
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Imagine
Your company gets arrested and thrown in jail for being a useless member of society, a vagrant.
What evidence would you present in a court of law to prove your company’s value?
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
4. Consider the Icing
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Ask Yourself
• What visuals might bring these words to life?
• How well will this content look in the amount of space I have?
• Will it be easy for people to find key points and read selectively?
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
5. Fire a Rifle; Don’t Blast a Shotgun
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Owning a Word
• Heinz• Volvo• Nordstrom’s• Domino’s• Crest• You
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Local Word Ownership
• Apricot’s• Avon Schools• George’s
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Small Life Insurance Company
• “Have a little fun, make a little money”
• Bruce Moose• Dynamite mailer• The National Inquirer
You can’t stand for anything if
you chase after everything.
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
6. Get Personal
• Business always one on one
• Don’t write to your target audience
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Help This Writing
“Here’s what your peers have to say about our Acme Software.”
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
This Is Better
“Here’s what your peers have to say about our Acme Software.”
BETTER:
“Here’s what people like you are saying about Acme Software.”
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
Help This Writing #2
“Seventy five percent of the people denied this insurance coverage might qualify under our plan.”
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
This Is Better
“Seventy five percent of the people denied this insurance coverage might qualify under our plan.”
BETTER
“Of every four people denied this insurance coverage, we approve coverage for an average of three of them.”
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
This Is Best
“Seventy five percent of the people denied this insurance coverage might qualify under our plan.”
BETTER
“Of every four people denied this insurance coverage, we approve coverage for an average of three of them.”
BEST
“The other insurance company rejected Chris’s application today. If Chris had applied to XYZ he would be celebrating his approval.”
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
8. Give a Reason to Respond
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
9. Do the Little Things
What’s wrong with these sentences?– Its a pleasure to see you.– The affect your product had was immeasurable.– We expect all major credit cards.
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
10. Speak Clearly
• Don’t try to overawe the reader with protracted, anomalous lexicon.
• Never write two sentences together without end punctuation it will confuse the reader.
• Good writers don’t shift verb tenses because they will know proper grammar.
Actual Newspaper Headline:
Police Begin Campaign to
Run Down Jaywalkers
Another Headline:
Panda Mating Fails;
Veterinarian Takes Over
A Third Real-life Headline:
Something Went
Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
11. You Must Provide a Benefit
12. You Must Be Honest
Copyright © 2006 by Chris John Amorosino
What’s Wrong?
• There are many people who played an important role.
• Our new cars save gas.
• Without this service your business could face a crisis situation.
• You helped us last year. Can you again?
• The client is in opposition to the change.
The price of making a powerful statement is
cheap compared to the cost of messages that
don’t work.-- Roy H. Williams