Writing to Persuade
Are You Making any of these Mistakes in Your Writing?
- Focussing on what's important to you not on what matters to your reader...
- Describing the product not what it does...
- Thinking that you need to use business-speak and fancy words to sound professional...
- Letting the reader get away without telling them what you want them to do...
If you’re making any of these errors, the chances are that you're not persuading anyone that they need or want your product or service. Not only is your writing not working for you; it might even be working against you.
And there are plenty of other ways that writing goes wrong. Every time you publish ineffective copy, you're wasting your time and money.
It’s not that your reader consciously expects you to be a professional copywriter when they know that you’re selling - for example - financial services or office air-conditioning systems. But they won’t have confidence in any business that doesn’t look professional in writing - and they certainly won't be persuaded to click, phone or buy.
Why Image Matters
If your writing doesn’t present a professional image of your company, it will be doing more harm than good. If you don't pay attention to detail in the way you market your business, how can you expect people to believe in the quality of your product or services?
Poorly-written material will often signal to readers a small company, struggling to establish itself without adequate resources. Why put yourself at a disadvantage? Publish a well-written and designed web page, flyer or sales letter, and you compete on equal terms.
How the Right Words Make People Take Action
Just presenting the right image isn’t enough. Business writing has a purpose. Your readers aren’t reading it just for pleasure – you want them to do something. You might want them to click on a website link, pick up the phone to you or even just to give you information. Not everything you write in business is about selling – but it’s always about persuasion.
To persuade, you have to connect with people at an emotional level. Good persuasive writing doesn’t use fancy words and exaggerated claims. It uses everyday language that talks to people directly and shows empathy with them.
And that's what will put you ahead.
Essential Knowledge in Just Half a Day
I’ve designed this workshop to give an introduction to the key principles of persuasive writing. I’m not promising to turn you into a copywriter in half a day. What I will do is to give you information that will make a difference to your writing and improve your response rates.
The workshop is very practical, with a clear focus on the needs of small businesses and plenty of opportunities to think about how the topics apply to your own writing.
We’ll also discuss the pros and cons of different formats – sales letters, web pages, e-newsletters etc. When your time and money are limited, it’s essential to spend them wisely.
Small Investment, Immediate Benefits
Because you have so many things to spend your time and money on, I've kept this workshop short and focussed on the essentials.
For an investment of just half a day and £50 plus VAT, you'll see immediate benefits to your business.
And because we know that people learn much more when they get a chance to participate, we limit the numbers to ten on each workshop. You can be sure that you'll get a chance to ask questions and join in the discussions.
To indicate your interest in attending, e-mail me giving your name, company and contact details. We set dates as soon as we have six people interested in coming, so we'll liaise with you about the best date and location.
I look forward to meeting you.
Beverley Moore
If you can’t already write correct English, this workshop isn’t for you. I hope, though, that I’ve convinced you of the importance of good words. If you struggle with written English, your readers will spot it, and you’ll lose their confidence.
It’s far better for you to concentrate on what you do best in your business, and find someone else to do the writing. See my copywriting page for information on how I can help.
