How do I Find Time to Write Every Day?

One of the first things I was taught while on a blogging course was the importance of keeping my blog up to date by writing something in it at least once every week. I made a resolution at the time to do just that – after all, I want people to be regular visitors to my blog to read what I’ve written.

It started off OK because I had plenty of material in my “back catalogue” that I could post on my blog, and at the time I was having to write a 60-second presentation every week to promote my business at BNI that I could use as the basis, or so I thought, for my weekly post on my blog.

But then things changed in my life. The local chapter of BNI fell apart and I was no longer required to write a witty presentation each week. At the same time my business workload increased, which meant that I was spending all day, every day, in front of my computer editing articles that other people had written. This meant that I had no desire to spend my spare time, if I had any, in front of the computer updating and editing my blog. Although I was spending some spare time in front of the computer, my interest in family history meant that it was being filled by visiting the Ancestry and the Genes Reunited websites, and entering data on to my genealogy software program.

As a result, my blog has barely been touched for about six weeks and the number of visitors has dropped to nearly zero. So what can I do about it? One thing that I have noticed is that I have plenty of ideas first thing in the morning and I lie in my bed composing potential articles in my head before I get up. However, by the time I’ve got up, got washed and changed, and I’ve started to make my breakfast my initial enthusiasm and creativity has waned, and I find myself thinking more about my next editing job I have to do for one of my existing clients.

So, the answer is simple! I get up at least one hour earlier each morning and write something for my blog before breakfast. As I write this, in long hand, it is eight o’clock in the morning and I’ve written virtually an entire post without much effort. The next challenge is to enter it on to the blog – but I can probably do that this evening – and if you’re reading it now it means that I’ve passed that challenge without any problems. It’s amazing how easy it is to type something up once you’ve written the first draft and it’s there in front of you.

Right! I’ve proved that it can work – now I’ve just got to make sure that I can keep it up. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem as long as I treat it like a training schedule in preparation for running a marathon (or any other distance, for that matter). After all, every evening during the week, without fail, I go out jogging. So, early every morning during the week, without fail, I must write something for my blog.

There, that wasn’t too difficult, was it! Same again tomorrow? We’ll see – I’ve got a business breakfast early tomorrow morning but I’ll try and write something, even if it’s only a few lines. So, watch this space!

Ten Important Words You Should Use in Your Sales Letters

In a good sales letter or advertisement there are certain words that are sure to trigger a positive response from your readers. Therefore, you should try to incorporate at least some of these words into your sales literature.

The first of these words is “discover”. By using this word, you invite the reader to explore something new, which should arouse their curiosity to learn more about your product or service.

The next word to use is “easy”. If something is perceived to be complicated or difficult, people are likely to lose interest. So make it easy for your potential customers to respond to your sales literature and say so when you write to them.

Another important word to use is “guarantee”. People hate to do something that is risky, so put their mind to rest by telling them that what you are offering is risk free and is guaranteed to bring them satisfaction.

People also like to think that they are following a healthy lifestyle, so if what you are selling helps to improve or maintain a person’s physical or mental well-being, say so in your literature by emphasizing the “health” benefits of using your product or service.

There is a certain four-letter word that works extremely well in any sales letter or advertisement. That word is “love” and it can evoke some strong emotions in the reader – positive ones, that is! Use this word whenever possible.

“Money” is another word that should attract the reader. Everybody wants to make it, save it or have great value in return for it, so make sure that you offer these benefits when you write to potential or existing customers.

People love to try or buy something that is “new” because they assume that a new product is somehow better than an old one. So make sure that you mention that you are offering a “new” service or product, even if it is just a revamped version of an old one.

Another word to use is “proven”. This word suggests that your product is tried, tested and reliable, and that the customer can depend on it.

What every person wants from a product or service are “results”, so demonstrate that what you are selling will produce the results that the customer is looking for.

Finally, the most important and most powerful word of all is, ideally, the individual reader’s own name because that person will feel that you are addressing him or her personally. Also make sure that the words “you” and “your” are used liberally throughout your sales literature in order to reinforce that impression.

If you use these words in your sales literature, readers are more likely to respond to it and become your customers. Try them out, and see what happens!

Sell Your Services in Sixty Seconds!

A couple of days ago I received an invitation to attend a workshop on how to give a better 60-second sales presentation, all for the princely sum of £147 plus VAT! With the popularity of networking clubs that are springing up all over the United Kingdom right now, I suppose the person offering this workshop is hoping to fulfil a need – or are they just jumping on the bandwagon?

But you don’t need to spend that sort of money to learn how to sell your services in 60 seconds. I’ve been doing it for more than a year now at my local chapter of Business Network International (BNI); the technique is fairly simple and readily available if you are prepared to look for it. In a nutshell, this is how you go about it.

The first thing you do is tell your audience who you are, the name of your business and what service or product you provide for your customers. Keep it as simple as possible: it should take you no longer than 10 seconds. For example, one person I know simply stands up and starts by saying, “I’m Susan Grafton and I’m a bookkeeper.”

In the next 15 seconds you should tell people why you are so good at what you do and why they should refer business to you rather than to any of your competitors. Don’t be afraid to brag at this stage. If one of your clients is a blue-chip company or a well-respected person in your community be sure to say so. And if you’ve received a testimonial from somebody tell your listeners about it and offer to show it to them afterwards. All this will add to your credibility.

Next, you tell your audience what your target market is – who you want to work with or have as clients – and describe the problems that you can solve for them. For example, I work with publishers, graphic designers, web designers, advertising and marketing consultants and even would-be authors; in fact, anybody who has a problem with the written word. A particularly effective phrase to use here is “Who do you know who…” and describe the problem that you can solve for them. This should take no more than 20 seconds.

Then, use the next 10 seconds to be very specific about who you want to do business with. In other words, if you want to be introduced to the sales manager of a specific, named company, then say so. He or she might be in the audience listening to you, or somebody else in the audience might know that specific individual personally and be able to put you in touch with them.

In the final 5 seconds of your presentation, remind your audience of who you are, the name of your business and use a short, pithy phrase that describes what you do. In BNI we call this a “memory hook” because it helps people remember what you do if they meet potential clients who could use your services or product. For example, my memory hook is “Making what you write even better!”

To make your presentation as effective as possible, write down what you want to say a few days beforehand and practise saying it out loud to make sure that it is not too long. If it is, edit it so that the timing is exactly right. I normally work on the basis that a 60-second presentation should be no more than 165 words long. If it’s any longer than this, then there is the danger that you’ll be counted out or interrupted by the network club’s timekeeper before you’ve finished what you want to say.

Finally, try to learn your presentation off by heart. It will be far more effective if it sounds as if you are talking naturally and off the cuff to your listeners than if you are merely reading from a script parrot-fashion.

If you want more information on how to give a more effective 60-second sales presentation, post a comment on my blog and I’ll get in touch with you.

Clowns

‘Hello, Muse! I’ve got a bit of a problem! I’m trying to write an article about clowns for my blog.’

‘That shouldn’t be too difficult! I mean, the clown has been around since the time of Ancient Greece and Rome.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes! In those days they were secondary figures in plays and parodied the actions of the more serious characters. Mind you, sometimes their comedy was extremely savage. It is said that more than one Christian died at the hands of a clown.’

‘What! Oh yeah! I can hear the crowds in the Coliseum shouting, “Throw them to the clowns! Throw them to the clowns!” I bet a lot of Christians died laughing!’

‘Mmm, I don’t think so, somehow! In Roman times, more often than not, the clown was the target for all the tricks and abuse of his fellow actors.’

‘So, were they called “clowns” in those days?’

‘No. the word “clown” is German and means “country dweller” or “peasant”.’

‘Oh! Something like a country bumpkin, a Devonshire dumpling? A village idiot, perhaps?’

‘You’ve got the right idea! They were the buffoons or the Vice character in the mystery or miracle plays of the Middle Ages, pranksters who could deceive even the Devil. They wore caps and bells, brightly coloured costumes and sometimes had donkey’s ears sewn into the top of their hats.’

‘Ah! Like Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

‘That’s right! Among the first professional stage clowns in England were William Kempe and Robert Armin who were leading members of William Shakespeare’s company of travelling players. Did you know that William Kempe once performed a nine-day Morris dance from London to Norwich?’

‘No! Good heavens! Some people would do anything to win one of Delia Smith’s early cookery books. You know, I can’t think of the names of any famous clowns.’

‘Come on! You’ve probably heard of Joseph Grimaldi. He was one of the earliest true circus clowns in this country and first performed in one of his father’s shows as a little clown when he was barely two years old. “Joey” Grimaldi became the greatest and best-loved performers in the history of British pantomime. Slapstick routines devised by him are known as “Joey-Joeys” and are still used today.’

‘Yes, I have heard of him. Thanks for reminding me.’

‘Then there was Grock (or Adrien Wettach) who was a famous white-faced clown, and Emmett Kelly, who was an American character clown.

‘I’ve never heard of them!’

‘And then, in more recent times there was Nicolai Poliakoff…’

‘Who?’

‘Come on! You remember him! He used to work for Bertram Mills Circus during the 1960s.’

‘I remember watching Bertram Mills Circus when I was a kid. But I don’t remember Nicolai Polia… whatsit.’

‘Coco the Clown?’

‘Now! I remember him!’

‘That was Nicolai Poliakoff.’

‘Oh! Why didn’t you say so?’

“Strictly speaking, Coco was an “auguste” clown.’

‘I know he was august! He was a awarded a medal by the Queen for his road-safety work.’

‘No! No! an “augoost”!

‘A what?’

‘An auguste. You see, there are three types of clown. There is the white-faced clown, who plays the straight man in the comedy routines. The auguste plays the funny man who messes up the tricks, causes general mayhem and who delivers the punch-line or “blow-off” at the expense of his white-faced partner.’

‘Oh! And the third type?’

‘The third type of clown is the character clown, who dresses as a tramp, a policeman, a woman or a baby.’

‘Well, I never, Muse, you’re a mine of information.’

‘That’s what muses are for!’

‘Ah! But can you make me laugh? I fancy a bit of a-muse-ment!’

‘Unfortunately, I don’t know any clown jokes, but I suppose I could always find some…’

Running a Marathon? No Sweat!

A magazine containing an entry form for next year’s London Marathon recently dropped through my letterbox. It reminded me that we are rapidly approaching the marathon season. Most marathons are held either in the autumn – like the one held in New York each year – or in the spring – like the London Marathon. Perhaps the though of running just over 26 miles brings you out in a cold sweat or perhaps you are faced with a marathon of a different order like trying to lose weight or recover from a serious illness. Perhaps you just want to be fit enough to play football with your grandchildren.

Run for fun

The road to fitness starts with the first step. But it’s important to make sure that whatever route you take is enjoyable. If it’s not enjoyable, if it’s never any fun, you’ll soon give up. I was introduced to the phrase ‘run for fun’ in the 1970s, long before the running craze appeared in Britain, but it had already made its mark in the United States and to me it was an entirely new but attractive concept. As a keen athlete I was familiar with the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ but being a little lazy at heart the idea that you could get really fit simply by ‘jogging’ appealed to me a great deal and I still follow this principle more than thirty years on and in the summer evenings and at weekends I see dozens of people of all ages ‘jogging’ around the streets, in the woods or along the canal either following their own fitness regime or simply because they enjoy it.

How do I get started?

Many people resolve to start running after watching the London Marathon on television but I would guess that a great many of them give up the moment they realize that it isn’t as easy as it seems. Some people find running on their own either boring, embarrassing or even frightening and most people either run too fast or too far.

The answer is to find a training partner. Persuade your spouse, your partner or your best friend (or any friend) to go out jogging with you. If all else fails, buy a dog! Start with some gentle exercise. Walk before you start running. Chat with your training partner while you exercise – if you are too breathless to talk you are either working too hard or running too fast. The aim, to start with, is to do just enough exercise to build up a sweat. Just walk or jog for a short distance – perhaps just around the block – two or three times a week and gradually build up the distance as your fitness improves but make it enjoyable, and don’t get too tired. Set a reachable target and turn your regular jogging session with your training partner into a playful game, but don’t make it too serious! Just build up a sweat and ease off until the next session.

I’ll finish this section with a cautionary tale. A few years ago, while out running, I met a middle-aged man who had entered the London Marathon for the first time and who was running for a charity. He hadn’t done any regular exercise since leaving school 25 years earlier but in his first training session for the marathon he tried to run 13 miles!! It nearly killed him and it put him off running for weeks if not months.

What do I wear?

What you wear is entirely up to you. I suggest you wear something that is old and comfortable but something that you don’t mind getting wet and sticky with all the sweat you are hoping to produce. Some people visit their local sports shop and buy an expensive new outfit because they think that it will motivate them to go out and use it – and look good in the process. However, quite often these are the very people who are the first to give up once they realize that their new gear is very soon going to get smelly and will have to be washed quite frequently. And, while their kit is in the wash … what else are they going to wear?

Fleeces are good for wearing in cold and wet weather. They allow your sweat to evaporate but keep out the rain which means that you stay warm, dry and relatively comfortable in even the foulest of weather. Don’t touch plastic anoraks! They keep the sweat close to the body and you end up wetter and colder inside the garment than it is outside. Cotton t-shirts have the same problem. They retain the sweat you have produced, which keeps you cool if it is warm and sunny but absolutely freezing when it is cold, wet and windy.

What you wear on your feet when you go jogging is very important. Running causes a lot of stress on a pair of shoes (and your legs), so don’t be tempted to wear the sort of cheap trainers you can buy from an ordinary shoe shop. They won’t last for more than a few weeks and you could injure yourself as they wear out. Treat yourself to a pair of specialist running shoes from a sports shop as these should last for at least 500 miles of use and although they may seem rather expensive to buy they will be a very good investment. Make sure you ask for advice, if possible, from the sales staff, because each person has their own style of running and different sorts of training shoes are made to cater for this fact.

Join a running club

Eventually you may feel confident enough to want to join a running club and perhaps enter a few races. If you do go training with a club, don’t be tempted to try and keep up with the leading group. Start off slowly, run at a comfortable pace and don’t go much further than the distance you usually do when running by yourself. Most clubs have a beginners’ group or ’slow’ group and should make sure that somebody always accompanies the slowest runner. For women, in Devon, there is the Women’s Running Network, which is based at the Ironbridge Runner in Exeter but which organizes women-only training groups right across the county. Running clubs are marvellous places to obtain advice, make friends and get motivated. By running in a group you won’t feel so vulnerable when faced with noisy teenagers, barking dogs or potential muggers.

Enter a race

Your first race should be a short one. There are plenty to choose from and you will enjoy it even more if you go with a group of friends from your running club, and perhaps share the travel costs. Finding out where the races are being held is as easy as visiting your local newsagent and buying a copy of Runner’s World or Running Fitness or popping into your local sports shop and obtaining a copy of Rundown Events or picking up an entry form for a local race from the sales counter. If you have access to the Internet, then you can even enter races online. Most races nowadays give every finisher a memento, either a medal, a t-shirt, a drinks bottle, a mug or even a whole bag of goodies provided by the sponsors.

One day you may wish to run in a marathon. If so, you could be joining the 100,000 hopefuls who apply each year for the 32,000 places in the London Marathon. Unless you are prepared to pay at least £1,000 to one of the charities who ’sell’ places to runners you can never be guaranteed an entry in this event. The good news is that there are plenty of other marathons and half-marathons across the country that are far easier to enter. For most people the marathon is seen as the ultimate challenge but there are some who seek even harder challenges, such as running from London to Brighton, from Lands End to John O’Groats or even from west to east across the United States of America.

Whatever you choose to do, the thought of running in a marathon will no longer bring you out in a cold sweat. It will probably be more a case of ‘Run a marathon? No sweat!’

Why You Should Never Depend on Your Computer’s Spell-checker

Every word-processor software program seems to have its own spell-checker and it is very tempting to rely on it to make sure that every word you’ve written is correctly spelt. However, there are several different reasons why you should never depend entirely on your computer’s spell-checker, as I will now explain.

To start with, spell-checkers are not very good when it comes to the use of English. Although a spell-checker can tell you whether a specific word has been misspelt, it can’t tell you whether you have used it correctly. For example, a spell-checker doesn’t understand the difference between ‘wed’ and ‘web’, ‘where’ and ‘were’ or ‘can’ and ‘ban’. And it doesn’t know if you’ve missed a word out entirely. Missing out the words ‘no’ or ‘not’ can totally change the meaning of a sentence. The same is true of punctuation. A few months ago, in Canada, a misplaced comma in a contract cost a communication company over two million dollars.

A spell-checker can’t tell you if a comma or a semi-colon is more appropriate in a sentence; and it doesn’t know where to use a colon. How often have you typed a comma when you meant to use a full stop? And how often have you used a spaced hyphen to introduce an explanation when a dash would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately, a spell-checker would not have helped you.

In English, some words can be correctly spelt in a number of different ways. For example, the word ‘co-operate’ can also be spelt ‘cooperate’. Whether you are writing a report or a brochure, whichever way you choose to spell this word, it is important that you spell it consistently that way throughout your document. The same applies to punctuation. For example, do you consistently separate items in a list with a comma or a semi-colon; do you always use either single quotation marks or double quotation marks? And what do you do about quotations within quotations? You can’t use your spell-checker to ensure consistency in these sort of things.

Are you sure that what you have written is unambiguous? You know what you mean to say but when you write it down it might not necessarily be all that clear to the reader; and your spell-checker certainly won’t know what you meant!

Finally, there are occasions when you might use a word that is frequently confused with a similar word that has a different meaning. A spell-checker can’t tell you which word you should have used, and this is another reason why you should never rely on it to find all the mistakes that might have crept into your written work.

So, if you can’t depend on your word-processor’s spell-checker, what can you do to make sure that your document is as perfect as possible?

Employ a professional proofreader

It is notoriously difficult to proofread or edit your own work. You have probably been drafting it for some time and in your own mind you know it better than anyone. The thought of another person altering so much as a comma may seem unbearable to you.

However, because you are so familiar with your work you could be blind to its flaws. It can be very difficult to put yourself in the place of the reader of your document. So it is best to use a second pair of eyes to review it before the final version is printed or published on the Web.

And be sure to use a professional proofreader or editor. That person will know from their training and experience how words are spelt and used, and when and where punctuation should be correctly placed. By delegating this task to such a specialist you can concentrate on what you do best!

A Shaggy Dog Story with a Difference

Part of my job as a copywriter is to find out as much as I can about a client’s business so that I can fully understand what makes it different and decide on the unique selling proposition (USP) that best promotes it in the marketplace. Unfortunately, sometimes I find out something that a client would rather keep quiet about.

For example, a few months ago a client promised me some work to help him produce some brochures for a dog-food supplier.

Apparently, this Chappie wanted me to be his Pedigree Chum so that together we could Winalot of business.

However, he was a bit of a ‘wag’ and his ‘tail’ was a shaggy as a sheepdog. I’m not just anybody’s poodle so, after a short ‘paws’ for thought, I used my faithful bloodhound Google to track down the truth. I soon found that my client wasn’t the Crufts champion he claimed to be and I realized that I’d been sold a pup and I’d be barking mad to take up his offer, because doing business with him would become a bit of a bitch.

Meanwhile, my client had mysteriously gone ‘Walkies!’, so my dilemma about whether I should work with him was solved.

Is This The ‘Right’ Way to Describe Copywriting?

The following piece of ‘copy’ has been passed around the Net for several years now, and I have adapted it in order to promote my business as a copywriter when I give short presentations to other business people. I would like to acknowledge the person who originally came up with this gem, whoever you are!

Copywriting is all about making as few words as possible work as hard as possible to promote your business.

So, when you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy that you write, if the copy is right. If, however, your copy is not right, you must rewrite your copy to get it right. If you write religious services, you write rites, and have the right to copyright the rites that you write.

Very conservative people would write right-wing copy, and have the right to copyright the right-wing copy that they write. A right-wing cleric, such as the Rev. Jim Wright, could write right-wing religious rites, and would have the right to copyright the right-wing rites he has the right to write.

Right!

BNI: Where Breakfast Really Brings in the Business!

Early every Friday morning a florist, a writer, a window cleaner, a bookkeeper, a web designer and about twelve other entrepreneurs meet for breakfast at the Tiverton Hotel in Blundell’s Road, Tiverton in order to promote their respective businesses and pass referrals to each other.

They are all members of the Lowman Chapter of Business Network International (BNI), the most successful business referral organization in the world, which now has over 500 chapters and 11,800 members in the United Kingdom, and which generated more than £185 million worth of business for its members last year. Worldwide, there are nearly 4,000 chapters and 100,000 members of BNI.

Only one person per profession is allowed to join a chapter, which means that there is no conflict amongst members when passing business between them because competitors cannot take part. However, the Lowman Chapter has several vacancies and members are very keen to recruit, for example, a painter and decorator, a plumber, an accountant, a hairdresser and even a funeral director so that they can pass business to them.

So, if you think that you fit the bill or you think that BNI could help you grow your business, then just turn up for breakfast at the Tiverton Hotel on any Friday morning. The meeting starts promptly at 7 a.m. You will be made very welcome. See you there!

(I wrote this as part of an advertorial promoting the local chapter of BNI that appeared in the Mid Devon Star on Friday 13 July 2007)

A Sceptic’s First Glance (at the Baha’i Faith)

Did I hear you talk of your grave?
No fear of death! Are you really so brave?
Why don’t you cry when I offer you pain?
Your loving smiles must prove you’re insane!

I am my own God, my very own Lord,
I won’t chant with the passionate horde.
What do you mean? I don’t need eyes to see!
What do you mean? Do I have faith in me?

So you want us all to be the same!
It won’t ever happen, ain’t that a shame!
And now you say the bigots will turn with the years,
I say: Your dreams will drown in your tears!

Come on now, you’ve got to agree,
God’s dead, you ape, climb down from your tree,
You understand me, so why do you smile?
Why should I sit with you and listen for a while?

Where’s the point in trying to love one and all?
For all your troubles you are fed just gall!
How can you care for those that wish you ill?
How can you die and not wish to kill?

How does your faith bring you such calm,
When you’re surrounded by that which brings harm?
Don’t the scientists and ‘modern’ people say,
Religion died in…………yesterday?

So what is the essence that burns in your heart?
Whence came your love and when did it start?
How can you be so sure of your belief?
Tell me, for life can be so brief.

(Most of this poem was written, but left unfinished, by an unknown visitor to a Baha’i teaching project in Shrewsbury, where I found it while tidying up on the final day. I was so taken with it that I took it home and completed the final verse.)