If I had a dollar for every time someone called me up and said, “I’ve been meaning to write [fill in the blank] for months and can’t find the time. Can you help?”… Granted, I wouldn’t be a millionaire but I’d have at least a week’s worth of Starbucks lattes in the bank, and they don’t come cheap.
If your great intentions are getting you nowhere fast, try tackling it in small chunks versus one big bite. With that in mind, here are five tips to help you get that communication out before it's old news.
Analyze your audience and your purpose.
Who are you communicating with? What is the desired outcome of your communication? Is it to build loyalty, drive traffic, or simply inform? Lose sight of your goal and you’re guaranteed to veer off track.
Organize your source material.
I find it helpful to create one document into which I cut and paste helpful URLs, directions issued to me via e-mail, and relevant paragraphs pulled from various sources. This allows me to spend less time rummaging and more time writing.
Don’t write and edit at the same time.
If you’re constantly stopping to criticize your work, you’ll never manage to complete a thought. Get your points down and then – only then – revisit your work and start editing.
Buy a dictionary.
If you’re not obliged to follow a particular style guide, I recommend that you stick to Canadian spelling. And don’t let your spellcheck tell you otherwise. In Canada, we write “fulfil”; in the U.S., they write “fulfill.” As a general rule don’t succumb to MSWord’s little red spellcheck squiggle without picking up your dictionary. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd edition, is a wise choice.
Pass it on.
Even the best writers are human first, writer second, and humans make mistakes. If you have a vested interest in the outcome of your communication, call on a professional for a fresh pair of eyes. Or, if budget is tight, run your work by a colleague or friend at the very least.
Got a tip you’d like to share? Send it my way and I’ll pass the word on.
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