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FIB - Scams 101 - Ye Olde Archives

Believe it, Dear Kiddies... YOU ARE WHAT YOU WRITE

Posted By: MaaMaw
Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 8:17 a.m.

A few dozen messages south, I started talking to Joe about his newsletter, and it occurred to me that this topic shouldn't be buried. It's too important.

Our country is crawling with smart, highly educated people who either

believe they write well because they're smart and educated, or
believe the message matters but the delivery doesn't.

In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.

Very often, your writing is the first thing people see, and it forms the basis for that all-important first impression.

So you're a CPA or an Environmental Engineer or a Systems Analyst or a Human Resources Manager or a Life Coach...

WHO CARES IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE COMMAS GO????????

You're the best at what you do, and that has nothing to do with being able to write a good letter.

Right?

WRONG!

It has everything to do with:

caring enough to do your very best in every aspect of your business, and
da-daaaaaaaaaaaaa...
ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

If you send out a newsletter with typos -- or with convoluted sentences that cause your reader to say, "HUH?" -- you're telling your clients/customers that you don't care enough to get it right (or find someone else get it right for you).

They might go back and figure out those sentences -- they might even overlook a few misspellings and typos because they want the information so badly -- but new business sprouts from old business. Your writing falls into other hands.

Will it impress -- or will it make you look like someone who doesn't sweat the small stuff?

And do you think for one minute that anyone is going to struggle to comprehend your website or your sales letter? Of course not. They're going to ashcan it.

One Argument for Mediocrity is that "most people don't know the difference anyway." I'm not even going to bother addressing this one, except to say that the idea is to IMPRESS. To LOOK THE PART.

How you write it really does matter.

What's that you say? Your writing sucks and you're making a bundle anyway?

Okay, I'll buy that. But have you stopped to consider how much bigger your bundle might be if your writing didn't suck?

As far as I'm concerned, it's no different than eating Oreos and going straight into an important business meeting without checking your teeth...

or pausing to pick your nose in the middle of a sales presentation.

Luv,

MaaMaw

WordMentor...... Feel free to ignore the plug, but HEED THE MESSAGE!!

Messages in This Thread

Have you read MAAMAW'S CLICKY NOTES today?
Excuse me... You MISSED them??
At the top o' the page in the blue bars (sheesh!).

Believe it, Dear Kiddies... YOU ARE WHAT YOU WRITE (views: 666)
MaaMaw -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 8:17 a.m.
- Sadly, you can thank an English teacher :( (views: 676)
  Sandi Moses -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 8:39 a.m.
  - Daily Dose of Tim - Sadly Sandi (views: 639)
    The Tim -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 8:58 a.m.
    - When children teach children...you get gibberish (views: 602)
      Sandi Bowman -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 9:57 a.m.
  - Re: Sadly, you can thank an English teacher :( (views: 640)
    Becca -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 4:24 p.m.
  - The same mistake has been evident in the UK. (views: 668)
    Margaret MacGillivray -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 4:46 p.m.
- Re: or pausing to pick your nose in the middle of a sales presentation (views: 641)
  Steve MacLellan -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 10:37 a.m.
- Gosh MaaMaw!!! You sound just like my..... (views: 603)
  Woody Quiñones -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 12:23 p.m.
- Re: I've often suspected... (views: 607)
  Michael J McMillan -- Wednesday, 7 June 2006, at 5:32 p.m.
- Mawmaw..... (views: 604)
  BizNewbie -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 1:21 p.m.
  - Re: Mawmaw..... (views: 577)
    Jack -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 1:58 p.m.
    - Re: Mawmaw..... (views: 583)
      Jack -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 2:01 p.m.
      - Commas and Conjunctions (views: 597)
        Mr Bluto ^_^ -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 2:16 p.m.
  - Re: Mawmaw..... (views: 505)
    Jim G -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 3:01 p.m.
    - Re: Mawmaw..... (views: 561)
      Jack -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 3:26 p.m.
      - It's a case-by-case kind of thing... (views: 578)
        MaaMaw -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 4:22 p.m.
        
        Re: It's a case-by-case kind of thing... (views: 600)
        Jack -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 5:54 p.m.
        
        Re: It's a case-by-case kind of thing... (views: 603)
        Jim G -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 8:02 p.m.
        
        I'm gonna hurl.... (views: 614)
        MaaMaw -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 9:08 p.m.
  - Because I have a complete sentence on both sides.... (views: 604)
    MaaMaw -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 4:15 p.m.
    - Sorry -- should have added a reference.... (views: 636)
      MaaMaw -- Thursday, 8 June 2006, at 4:17 p.m.
      - Thanks Maw Maw et al. (views: 582)
        BizNewbie -- Monday, 12 June 2006, at 5:47 p.m.

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