by Deb Coman | Jun 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
Not everyone feels that it’s important to spell correctly, use proper grammar, and punctuate as we learned in our early elementary school days. Do you?
I’m not a stickler for all this in every situation but I am when it comes to writing for your business and when writing for any professional reason. I’ve offered suggested edits to many entrepreneurs. There are some who say they don’t think their clients care about typos and punctuation. I often wonder: Do they know for sure that their clients don’t care? How about the ones who don’t become clients because they do, in fact, care?
When presenting yourself in the business arena, why not put your best foot forward? Remember all we learned about first impressions and how incredibly quickly they are formed? Now, imagine that first impression in the sterile, toneless, inanimate, smile-free world of the internet. Today, more than ever, a lot rides on the shoulders of our words in print.
Here are some tips for putting your best writing foot forward:
- Think! Yes, think before you write or at least before sending. There’s a tendency to think as you type and then press send. Put a pause in there, at least before you send it off into cyberspace. It’s helpful to think it through before even writing, but not everyone chooses to work that way. Ask yourself if this is the overall message, tone, call to action you want delivered in your name.
- Use spell-check! I know, this wonderful little application has been overlooked and forgotten but it is right at your fingertips. It won’t catch everything if you incorrectly insert a synonym but it can catch quite a bit. You can also use an internet search to check a phrase or spelling or meaning of a word. You don’t have to commit it all to memory and long-forgotten English classes; just use your resources.
- Read it! Seems obvious and, perhaps simplistic, but often in our haste to move fast or die in business, we don’t take time to read our own words all the way through and more than once. Many of us can catch our own errors if we take this extra time. If this isn’t your forte, ask someone else to read it for you. It slows things a little but it is worth it to send it error-free.
- Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. It can be easy to write about something we know well without thinking the delivery of those words all the way through to our readers. It’s important to step outside our limited personal view and read with fresh eyes. Often this means walking away from your words for a bit and coming back with the perspective of a new reader who does not have your background. Look for jargon and other phrases not common to the everyday reader. Have you defined them in your intro? Did you use an abbreviation without first giving the unabbreviated version? Are the steps you used in the right order? Does the information flow? These are important details that let your reader know you are considering them and connecting with them through your words. I just changed the order on these from my original order. Bet you’re wondering what it was!
- Read it again! That’s right, again. It seems like overkill but the more time we look at our own words, the more we think we see what we intended and the easier it can be to overlook something. Each time you read, take your time. Do not skim. If this isn’t your thing and you find it tiresome to keep checking your work, it’s time to enlist some help.
P.S. In case you were wondering, I originally had Read it! as # 2. I’d love to hear how your work evolves as you recheck it and revise! Do you have other steps you use to put your best foot forward? Please share!
by Deb Coman | Jun 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
As I cheered on players approaching the batter’s box, I thought of how in business we need to step up to the plate. Many people contact me saying they have difficulty writing a regular blog, creating their promotional materials, bringing their new ideas to paper or following through on that dream of writing their story. Sometimes the difficulty is just in getting started. Many have a reluctance to get in that batter’s box at all. Some step in but strike out watching. We need to support each other to step up to our metaphorical plates and take a swing. You may not feel you’ve connected as well as you had hoped but you certainly won’t connect if you don’t take a swing.
1. Find your motivation. See past the “what” you are wanting to write and focus on the “why.” Take some time to think about what you hope to accomplish by writing that blog/article/story/marketing copy. Is it to grow your business? Connect with your subscribers? Develop a program that shares your gifts? This end result focus can help you gain momentum to take the first steps. It brings us out of what can sometimes feel like a chore and brings it to a higher level. It taps into that part of us that brings more meaning to our lives, jobs, and work tasks. Let it carry you to the point of bringing pen to paper or tapping away at your keyboard.
2. Get inspired. This sounds a lot like motivation but I think there’s a difference. While the “why” is the motivation, the “how” is the inspiration. Surround yourself with writing you love to read. Read some of your favorite blogger’s entries, articles that moved you, a chapter in a book you love. Let that inspiration sink in. Focus on how you feel as you read words that touch your spirit. Know that you can write in that same way. Lift yourself up. Use encouraging thoughts and words. This is so important. Instead of “I better get started writing,” choose the more powerful and positive “I will write my blog/article/training ebook now.” This slight shift can mean the world in terms of changing your approach and getting you started.
3. Enlist some support. Tell someone you trust about what you’re going to write. Maybe it’s a friend, business coach, colleague; just be sure it’s someone positive and supportive. Choose carefully. You don’t need to hear from the naysayers or someone who might ask “You didn’t do that yet?” Just giving your plan a voice will help you stay on track. You may also gain some encouragement and motivation in the process. If you need a boost, just ask me!
Then, take a tip from Nike and “JUST DO IT!” Remember, writing is writing; it’s not about editing, proofreading and over thinking. Those things actually hinder writing. Just get those words out, any which way you can. If you need help cleaning them up, let me know (shoot me an email at deb@debcoman.com). All that “polishing” comes later, after you get that writing started by not just stepping in, but taking a good, hard swing!
by Deb Coman | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Writing. We need to do it year round in our business and now is a good time of year to assess your content marketing and communication strategy. As the first signs of Spring arrived in Central New York, if felt like we were emerging from hibernation after a long, very wintry season of snow and frigid temperatures. There is a pull to be outside, to ready the earth for new growth and to scrub our homes as if inviting in more sunlight and warmth.
It is also the perfect time to Spring Clean your business and check all yourwritten communication. Dust the cobwebs off your promotional and training materials; consider revamping programs and services; and ready your intellectual ground to nurture the growth of new and creative ideas that help propel your business forward. Here are some steps to get to that Spring Cleaning:
- Know your best time for writing. Just as you set the stage to write, it’s helpful to know your own style of creative development. Figure out your best time of the day, and of the week, to devote to this task. If you like to start the week by reviewing where you’ve been before moving on, Monday morning may be the perfect time to review your website, reread your training ebook, or start mapping out a new service or program. If you prefer to hit the ground running and ticking items off your to do list, Monday morning business Spring Cleaning will probably thwart the flow of your momentum. Perhaps after a productive start of the week, you’ll be better able to focus on business review and development mid-week. There are also those who like to use the end of the work week for reflection and pursuing creative development. The same ebb and flow during the week, can apply to a given day. Some find their most productive time to be the start of the work day and some later on in the day. Personally, my best time is at night; the later, the better. It may not work for everyone, but, for now, it works for me. Follow your history and instincts for what works for you and if you’re not sure, experiment with different times of the week and day to see what feels best.
- Schedule your business writing in. As with all business development, you don’t typically find yourself with unexpected, unscheduled time and space for this. You must carve it out yourself! So, before other priorities chip away at your time, pull out your calendar and make an appointment (or several!) with your business. Now that you’ve figured out the best time of day and day of the week for this, it is just a matter of writing it down on a particular day and time, just as you would any other appointment. It may feel silly, or even unnecessary, but you can imagine the time going to something else if it is not set aside. Give yourself the same priority you would give to a client or customer. Consider setting up several appointments, perhaps on a weekly basis for 2 or 3 weeks.
- Make a list of all your written content. Write a list of all the written materials you use in your business. Start with a broad list of general items like website, workbook, business flyers and cards, and so on. Be exhaustive with the different categories of writing that you use in your business.
- Set priorities in terms of best return. Review your list and determine what to address first. Consider how long an item has remained unchanged; what you use most in your business; what you feel is the heart of your business. Any item with inaccurate information (old pricing, outdated content, etc.) needs to be the first priority. Next, address what impacts your business the most. Perhaps your promotional free gift, your signature program, your website. Consider new clients’ first point of contact. If they are not invited to stay with current, clear content, they will likely move on.
Time to get down to your Spring Cleaning with all your writing for business! Out with the old and in with the new. Keep that appointment with yourself and your business will stay fresh. Let me know what you find easy along with your challenges. If you need help tweaking any of your written materials or perhaps “new eyes” to gain another perspective, I hope you’ll let me know. You can contact me here for a Communication Strategy Session to review, revise and rewrite in a way that gives you moreclarity, visibility and business!
by Deb Coman | Apr 6, 2014 | Uncategorized
After you set aside enough time at the right time to get started writing, let’s consider your comfort, both physically and mentally. It’s important to maximize your comfort so you canminimize distractions when you write.
Slip into something more comfortable. I’m serious. Part of setting the stage for writing has to do with your own comfort in your mind, body, and environment. Let’s work from the outside in and begin by looking at where.
1. Pick your place. Choose a place in your office or home that invites you to write. Someplace where the lighting is just right, the room temperature is comfortable and the seating is conducive to writing. Resist the habit of plopping down in the same place you always write without giving it at least some thought. Ask yourself: Do I feel like writing in this chair? This room? This house? If you answer “no,” change something up. Move to another room. Drive to another location. Step outside and write from your yard or deck. A change in scenery can change your outlook and put you in a better frame of mind to write. You’ve heard the adage: Move a muscle, change a thought! I also like the variation: Move your butt, get out of the writing rut!
2. Check in with your body. Now that you’ve settled on your place to write, take a look at your comfort in your own skin. Are you wearing comfortable clothing? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs taught us in Psych 101, don’t deny your basic needs and expect to work on a higher level intellectual need like creative writing. Take care of what you need in, and for, your body so you have optimal conditions for writing.
3. Clear your head. Lastly, where is your head “at”? Check in with yourself. Are you stressed about writing? Do you feel you have a dozen other things on your mind? Are you excited to begin this writing project? If you don’t feel ready to write, settle your mind. Close your eyes. Take 3 deep breaths. Meditate, even. If your mind is still filled with a long to do list, jot those down on paper and set them aside, physically and mentally! It’s helpful to affirm that you feel good about writing and are confident that this time will now be productive.
There now, you’ve set aside time, chosen a good place, taken care of your physical comfort and set aside distracting thoughts. This is how you “set the stage” to write. I will admit, I don’t always do all these things like I’m working off a checklist. Sometimes I may be able to write while wearing uncomfortable clothing in an uncomfortable chair and with many distracting thoughts. But when things aren’t flowing, I do take stock of why that might be and this checklist comes to mind. That’s why I wanted to share it with you.
How do you like to write? Do you have tips that work for you? I’d love to hear about them.
by Deb Coman | Mar 30, 2014 | Uncategorized
In my first installment of writing tips, I talked about what you can do to set the stage before actually beginning to write your own newsletter, webpage, article, e-book, or any form of written communication.
Give yourself enough time was the very first tip. Not only do you need enough hours to get the job done, but it’s helpful to know your rhythm and style when working with time to do your writing. Let’s take a closer look.
Get to know your own natural rhythm for when you do your best writing. If you think you know when that is (first thing in the morning, maybe in the evening after dinner), honor that time. Don’t work against it. Find ways to make this time your writing time. Put it on your calendar to keep it from competing with other activities.
If you’re not sure when your “best” time is, do a little experimenting. Try first thing in the morning. Try late at night. Good luck if you want to try mid-afternoon between 2 and 4 p.m., but, hey, you never know!
Recognize that being a morning person doesn’t necessarily translate into that being the best time for you to write. Also know that your natural rhythm for writing may change as your schedule, routines, and life, in general, changes. Be flexible.
Once you’ve established what now seems to be your preferred writing time, decide how much time you need for a particular writing task. Sometimes life can get in the way. If other things have cut into your scheduled writing time, before you throw in the towel, consider getting a start on your writing piece.
During these moments when you don’t have enough time to complete your piece in its entirety, you still have some choices. You can start it now just to get a jump on it, knowing there isn’t enough time to finish. In this instance, sometimes you will surprise yourself and get a lot more done than you first thought possible. Or you may find it helpful to push yourself to get at least the beginning in motion and this may help it flow more when you come back to it later.
Your other decision is to hold off altogether on writing now and plan when you will make time for it. Use the little time you have now to complete other tasks. Crossing other things off your to do list may help you later on by clearing your mind from distractions to write.
Get to know your own rhythm, strengths and preferences for timing your writing and you are sure to get those words flowing.
