In this post we will look at the reasons for using quotations in your speeches and presentations, and provide a few examples of how to use them most effectively.

When you are speaking to persuade an audience — whether to buy a product or service, win them over to your way of thinking, or influence their beliefs about your organisation — there are many speech writing tools you can use to bolster your case. These include facts, statistics, stories and quotations. They all bring an external element that supports your proposition — it’s not only you who is saying this, but another person. Generally, the person you quote should be a respected authority in their field.

In a previous post we looked at logic, emotion and credibility as essential elements of persuasion. While facts and statistics support the logical element of an argument, and stories bring in an emotional element, quotations add credibility. When you quote an authority — not connected to you or your business — you add the person’s credibility and standing to your case.

In the workshops and presentations we give about business writing, for example, we use quotations from experts (past and present) to support our case for simple and uncluttered writing.

“Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.” — Cicero

“Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific term or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.” — George Orwell, Politics and the English Language

“Executives and managers at every level are prisoners of the notion that a simple style reflects a simple mind. Actually a simple style is the result of hard work and hard thinking; a muddled style reflects a muddled thinker or a person too dumb or too lazy to organize his thoughts.” — William Zinsser, On Writing Well

By using these quotations, we bring outside confirmation to the idea that simple writing is best.

In a business context, the need for change is a common speech topic. If you were writing a speech about the need and importance of change, you could use quotations such as:

“Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm.” — Peter F. Drucker

“Change before you have to.” — Jack Welch

“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy

In this situation, the right quotation (or quotations) for your speech or presentation would depend on the specific message you want to convey about change. Many quotations websites can be searched by subject, keyword or author. Finding the appropriate quotation can take some time, but it’s well worth the effort.

As with business speeches, quotations can add depth and credibility to motivational speeches. Earl Nightingale was a master at using quotations in his motivational audio programs. He would often present many quotations on a single subject to enhance his message and make it more convincing. The following is an extract from The Strangest Secret, one of his best-selling programs.

This is The Strangest Secret! Now, why do I say it’s strange, and why do I call it a secret? Actually, it isn’t a secret at all. It was first promulgated by some of the earliest wise men, and it appears again and again throughout the Bible. But very few people have learned it or understand it. That’s why it’s strange, and why for some equally strange reason it virtually remains a secret.

Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman Emperor, said: “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Disraeli said this: “Everything comes if a man will only wait … a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and nothing can resist a will that will stake even existence for its fulfilment.”

William James said: “We need only in cold blood act as if the thing in question were real, and it will become infallibly real by growing into such a connection with our life that it will become real. It will become so knit with habit and emotion that our interests in it will be those which characterize belief.” He continues, “…only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly.”

My old friend Dr. Norman Vincent Peale put it this way: “If you think in negative terms, you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you will achieve positive results.”

George Bernard Shaw said: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”

Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? We become what we think about.

The number of quotations used in the example might seem a bit overwhelming. But when you listen the recording of this motivational talk, it seems natural. By quoting so many notable figures throughout history, Earl Nightingale increases the strength and credibility of his message.

So the next time you need to write a speech or create a presentation, remember the power of quotations.

The underlying psychology of copywriting
What really makes your consumers tick? Any copywriter who can answer this question holds the Midas touch. If you wish to profoundly influence your target market, you need to understand their psychological make-up. Only then can you pitch your copywriting in a way that resonates with their ‘hot buttons’ or hidden motivators. This is what we call ‘psychologically groomed’ copywriting. A tool that can help you:

• ingrain brand loyalty upon your consumers’ psyche
• break down sales resistance by appealing to reader emotions
• understand what issues your readers face and seek to solve.

Sound good? Let’s look at how you can psychologically groom your copywriting.

It all begins with an understanding of your consumers’ decision-making process.

Emotion is your chief copywriting ally
The human brain functions on three basic levels — instinctive, emotional and rational.

Effective copywriting strategically appeals to all three.

Now, most of your customers would say that their purchasing decisions are rational. Driven by logical reasoning like: I need a new pair of shoes because my current pair have grown uncomfortable. Yet emotion primarily drives consumer decision-making. Your consumer may feel compelled to buy those new shoes because:

• I feel embarrassed that my shoes are in last season’s style. Your consumer doesn’t want to feel out of date or fall behind the fashion flock.
• All the other girls are wearing shoes in this new style. Theirs look much smarter than mine and I don’t want to be left out. Your consumer wants to fit in and be accepted.
• I haven’t seen anyone else wearing this style of shoe…I could be the first. Your consumer is exhilarated at the notion of setting a new trend.

All these are examples of ‘hidden motivators’ your copywriting can play to. There are many more, like:

• health
• exclusivity
• time
• social or business advancement.

The key is to know the motivators of your particular target market, then tailor your copywriting to fit.

Use copywriting to ignite consumer instinct
Emotion arouses instinct, thus providing another powerful copywriting tool. Say you are pitching to new mothers. Their maternal love arouses an instinct to protect and nurture their baby. Or perhaps you are marketing income protection insurance to executives. Their instinct for self-preservation is aroused by fear of losing income and lifestyle.

Tap into those instincts which dominate your consumers’ action, then tailor your copywriting to fit. A great way to do this is through storytelling. Take readers on a journey where you arouse their instincts, engage emotions, then show them how much better their life will be with your product.

Roll out the rationale in copywriting
So what follows an emotional decision to act? Rational brain functioning! Your consumer employs logic to rationalise their decision. Psychologically groomed copywriting helps them in this process. Outline vividly how much better and easier life will be once they have taken the desired action.

Say you want to sell a designer handbag. Your copywriting should detail the quality of finest leather, intricate hand stitching and exquisite detailing. Outline the investment potential of the bag too. It complements any outfit, offers generous space with clever organisation. Plus with timeless style, your consumer can enjoy her bag all season and it will last her through many more.

Walk in your consumers’ shoes
Just as an actor immerses themselves into character, you must become your consumer. Psychologically groomed copywriting requires that you understand your consumer’s most heartfelt desires, needs and feelings. Then choose words that resonate with these, painting a picture of their ultimate satisfaction. This copywriting method is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Also called a business profile or corporate profile, a company profile summarises an organisation’s purpose, history, function, and outlook. A well-written business profile makes it possible to quickly and easily present key information to the media, potential customers and investors, and the general public.

What should be included when writing a company profile?

There’s no exact formula for writing a company profile. The type of information you include and the length of the company profile will depend on your organisation and what you are trying to achieve.

Here are a few items that are typically included in company profiles.

• Mission statement – summarising the company’s purpose.
• Leader’s message – a short message from the CEO can briefly explain the mission, goals, achievements and importance of the business in a broader context.
• General overview of what the business does – this can include a brief explanation of the types of products and/or services offered. It’s not necessary to go into detail, as this can be covered in product or service brochures.
• Company history – established businesses often have notable stories behind them about past successes and the challenges they have overcome. New businesses might be able to highlight the experience of the founders and what led them to begin the venture.
• Successes and milestones – this can include short case studies explaining how your company has helped its customers and an overview of important accomplishments.
• Awards and certifications – include any awards or industry certifications that are required to do your work.
• Profiles of key personnel – these should be in a consistent in style and include the same type of information. When writing staff profiles, we ask these questions to get the information needed.
• Corporate governance – your approach to meeting legal requirements.
• Social responsibility – how your business aligns its values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders — customers, investors, employees, suppliers, communities, and society as a whole.
• Company culture – this might include your organisation’s outlook when it comes to staff development, occupational health and safety, and the overall work environment.
• Financial performance – if a publicly traded company, include a summary of the most recent financial data.

For most of these sections, the key questions to ask when writing your company profile is “What makes us stand out from others?” and “What makes us memorable?”  By no means is this a complete list; your company profile might need to cover other subject areas not included here.

As we mentioned, the aim of a company profile is to lift your organisation’s image and raise its credibility. So it’s okay to boast a bit about your company and its achievements.

When writing a motivational speech or article, stories can be powerful tools that make your message more credible and memorable for several reasons.

Why use stories in a motivational speech?

Stories are an indirect way to show your audience that taking action is the right thing to do. People love to listen to a good story.  They will remember it long after they have forgotten the finer details of your speech. The story contains your core message. So if the story is memorable, they will remember your message indirectly.

By using stories, you bring your message into reality and give it an emotional side.  If you simply tell your listeners to take an action without a good story to support it, you won’t be as successful in motivating them.

How professional motivational speakers use stories and quotations in their motivational speeches

We’ll now look at a few examples to see how professional writers use stories and quotations to motivate their audiences.

In ‘Destiny in Balance’ from Lead the Field, Earl Nightingale uses stories to support his message.

One morning, I was having breakfast in a restaurant in Monterey, California–one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world. Suddenly, I was aware of the young couple sitting in the booth next to mine—they couldn’t have been more than 25 years old. It was obvious that they were very unhappy. The young man was saying: “Well, I’ve tried everywhere, but nobody wants to give me a job. I guess we’ll have to go back home.”

It was apparent from their attitudes that they wanted to live on the Monterey Peninsula, but they were almost out of money and unable to find work. But he had said, “Nobody wants to give me a job.” He wanted someone to give him something—in this case a job.

What might have happened if he had turned the whole idea around? What if he said, instead, “What do I know how to do that will serve some of the people of this beautiful part of the world?” Or, “How can I, or we, be of value to this community?

“The people here will be happy to supply us with the living we need if we can think of some way to serve them.” If we can think of some way to serve them. “What do they want or need or want that we can supply. Do they need a handyman, a first-class housekeeper, or both? Can we wash and wax cars right in their driveways? Can we detail their cars so they look like showroom display models? Let’s buy a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen and start making a list of all the things we can do to earn a living here. It will give us time to of other ways, more profitable ways. But that wash-and-wax idea might grow into quite a service for the community. And let’s not stop there. Let’s think of some more ways we can start right here to be of service to the people who live here.”

Right then and there in the restaurant, instead of being depressed and considering themselves failures, they could have come up with a dozen or so ways in which they could have remained on the Monterey Peninsula and built a fine business for themselves. They didn’t need a job: they needed to think. But they had never thought before. It was as foreign to them as speaking Urdu.

There they were: two fine, bright, good-looking young people with two fine minds. A world of opportunity was beckoning to them, and they were going to go back home. No one had ever told them about the gold mines they carried between their ears.

Do you know how many people would have reacted in the same way these young people reacted? Most of the people in the United States—or any other country, for that matter. People will do anything in the world—even turn to crime—before they will think.

The motivational talk is about the importance of service and thinking of ways to serve others. The story, a small part of the talk, reinforces this key point by brining it into reality.  (You can listen to audio samples from this excellent motivational program at www.nightingale.com/prod_detail~product~Lead_Field~audio~2144.aspx)

Stories are also an important ingredient in motivational books and articles. In the motivational classic Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill uses the following story to show the importance of persistence.

Three Feet from Gold

One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another. An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by the “gold fever” in the gold rush days, and went west to DIG AND GROW RICH. He had never heard that more gold has been mined from the brains of men than has ever been taken from the earth. He staked a claim and went to work with pick and shovel. The going was hard, but his lust for gold was definite.

After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, told his relatives and a few neighbors of the “strike.” They got together money for the needed machinery, had it shipped. The uncle and Darby went back to work the mine.

The first car of ore was mined, and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.

Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something happened! The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again-all to no avail.

Finally, they decided to QUIT. They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars, and took the train back home. Some “junk” men are dumb, but not this one! He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed, because the owners were not familiar with “fault lines.” His calculations showed that the vein would be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THE DARBYS HAD STOPPED DRILLING! That is exactly where it was found!

The “Junk” man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up. Most of the money which went into the machinery was procured through the efforts of R. U. Darby, who was then a very young man. The money came from his relatives and neighbors, because of their faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, although he was years in doing so. Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many times over, when he made the discovery that DESIRE can be transmuted into gold. The discovery came after he went into the business of selling life insurance.

Remembering that he lost a huge fortune, because he STOPPED three feet from gold, Darby profited by the experience in his chosen work, by the simple method of saying to himself, “I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because men say ‘no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.”

Darby is one of a small group of fewer than fifty men who sell more than a million dollars in life insurance annually. He owes his “stickability” to the lesson he learned from his “quitability” in the gold mining business.

Where do you get stories for your motivational speeches?

In the first example, Earl Nightingale overheard the couple complaining that they had failed in their goal to live in Monterey, California.  In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill had heard Three Feet from Gold from a relative of the man who stopped three feet from gold. The best stories to use in motivational speeches are often the ones we hear and experience. The key is to be aware of what’s going on around you and to look for the lessons in these events. Some writers keep a story file of the interesting things they see or hear.

Besides the stories we hear about and experience, we can search for stories that support our motivational message. Reading regularly in the subject that you wish to speak about will help you find stories for your motivational speeches.  You can also look for relevant stories when watching films and television programs. Searching on the internet using the right keywords will help you find stories for your motivational speech. The time-consuming part is finding the story that best fits your motivational speech message. It’s also a good idea to do some fact checking to make sure the story is true — many hoaxes and urban legends are found on the internet.

Some stories are overused, so try to avoid these. One popular story explains how Thomas Edison tried 10,000 ways to create a light bulb before succeeding. It’s a great example of persistence but it has been used too many times in motivational speeches. Other examples include the stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul . When the book was a best-seller its stories were often used in motivational and inspirational speeches.  If you use a story that has been heard many times before, you risk losing the attention of your audience and your credibility as a motivational speaker.

]]> http://www.wordnerds.com.au/2011/09/writing-motivational-speeches-%e2%80%94-how-to-create-impact-with-stories/feed/ 0 http://www.wordnerds.com.au/2011/08/editing-your-business-writing-to-get-rid-of-clutter/ http://www.wordnerds.com.au/2011/08/editing-your-business-writing-to-get-rid-of-clutter/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:29:12 +0000 admin http://www.wordnerds.com.au/?p=645 You might have seen the television programs showing extremely cluttered homes that are a result of hoarding. In a similar way, business writing can be full of clutter. Clichés, jargon, complicated words and phrases, and unnecessary words will muddle your business writing and make it difficult to read.

In this post, we’ll look at de-cluttering your business writing by following these editing tips.

1.    Remove clichés and overused terms when editing your business writing.

Examples include:
·    At the end of the day
·    Back to the drawing board
·    Core values
·    The fact of the matter is
·    For all intents and purposes
·    On the back burner
·    Seriously consider
·    Up in the air
·    World’s best practice

2.    Replace complicated words with simple ones when possible.

3.    Remove unnecessary words when editing your business writing.

4.    Replace phrases with single words when editing.

5.    Turn nouns into verbs when editing your business writing.

The requirement of the department is that employees work seven and a half hours a day.

can be reduced to:

The department requires employees to work seven and a half hours a day.
(From 16 words to 13 words.)
––––––
You will work on the establishment of goals for the hiring, training and promotion of designated group employees.
can be reduced to:

You will establish goals for hiring, training and promoting employees from designated group employees.

(From 18 words to 14 words.)

This also applies to what are called nominalised phrases.

For more information on nominalisation go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominalization

6.    Replace passive sentences with active ones when editing your business writing.

Computer hardware is manufactured and distributed by us. (Passive voice)

We manufacture and distribute computer hardware. (Active voice)
________________

The proposal was completed and submitted by the project manager. (Passive voice)

The project manager completed and submitted the proposal.  (Active voice)

Applying these editing tips to remove a few words here and there might not seem like much. But if you consistently do this when editing your business documents, you can de-clutter your business writing, make it easier to read and increase its effectiveness.

Truly terrific copywriting starts with the end in mind
I’m not arguing against the importance of your copy’s message here. Without a doubt, crafting compelling, persuasive and appealing content is a chief concern of every copywriter. But our content is always bound for a final destination — whether online or in print. So a graphic designer will need to take your copywriting and make it look incredible within a visual layout. Quite a tall order when you’re delivering a solid slab of unbroken content. As a copywriter then, you need to keep in mind the medium your content is bound for. Break up your content into easily definable ‘bite-sized’ chunks. Draw out strong word elements to highlight key messages. These are just some things you can do at the copywriting stage. There’s plenty more.

I’ll be sharing some easy and effective ways for achieving aesthetically pleasing content in this blog. So you can instantly put greater visual appeal to work in your copy.

But first, let’s take a look at why good looking copywriting is so important.

It’s not just about making graphic design easier. It’s about doing justice to your copywriting and making this even better! Visual presentation can:

• help your copywriting appeal to your audience
• support your content in achieving its purpose
• make it easier to navigate your copywriting
• guide your reader to better follow and understand your copywriting
• unfold your copywriting like a story to improve persuasiveness
• logically lay out key detail and information
• capture and convert time-poor readers at a glance.

Visually effective copywriting encompasses varied pace and different presentation tools

Here are some great techniques you can use.

Include a headline
Here it is…the first line of copy that your reader will see. So you should seldom write copy without a headline. A headline makes your pitch for you right up front. It hooks the readers’ attention and determines whether they see benefit in reading on. If you are a copywriter, you’re concerned with crafting a powerful punchy headline — as you should be. But you should also use visual savvy to boost headline impact by:

• setting your headline clearly apart from the rest of your copy
• making your headline 10 words maximum as a general rule
• setting your headline in a larger font than the body text
• using a different coloured font…but don’t get too funky
• leaving a little white space between your heading and body copy.

Soup up the subheadings
Subheadings are vastly underused but make a valuable tool for any aesthetically-minded copywriter. They visually break up paragraphs, group information and clearly drive home key ideas. Plus subheads work in tandem with your headline. Telling a compelling ‘at a glance’ story to time-poor readers. Tricks to using subheadings include:

• keeping the message simple — a clear summary of the following paragraph in a few words
• having one idea per subheading — so readers can pick and choose information of interest
• getting action-oriented — using your final subhead as a call to action to convert your readers.

The silver bullet for visually appealing copywriting
Nothing turns a reader off more quickly than great swathes of unbroken content — especially for today’s readers who like to scan. So bullet point lists are a great way to make your copy visually easy to comprehend and succinctly emphasise important info. These are perfect for time-poor readers with short attention spans.

But bullet points can be a double-edged sword. You should use them judiciously. Avoid lengthy bulleted lists — 6 or 7 bullets per list are generally the most you want without overdoing it.

Pull out the pull quotes
A pull quote is a short extract from your copy strategically positioned on the page. Pull quotes are a terrific way to highlight your key ideas. They break up your copy in a visually striking way too. Set your pull quote in a larger font size to create greater visual priority.

Short is sweet for paragraph length
Keep your paragraphs and sentences short in your copywriting! Succinct paragraphs are heaven to modern readers’ eyes. They are easier to digest, take little work to read and look better too. The same goes for sentence length. Aim to keep your average sentence length under 20 words. (You can find the average sentence length in Word, as we explained in a previous post at www.wordnerds.com.au/2009/02/copywriting-basics-aim-for-a-short-average-sentence-length/)

Finally…easy on the font
Don’t extend your creative flair to font choice. A common font will pack a much bigger punch than Wingdings or the like. Stick to one font throughout your copy too. You can select a font family to differentiate headings and subheadings. If you do want to mix it up a little, have no more than three different fonts in one piece of copy.

Remember: consistency is the key to visually appealing copy. So be consistent with typefaces and headline sizes for headlines, subheadings and body copy.

So the next time you need to do some copywriting, infuse visual appeal into it. Your readers and clients will love you for it.

Short Words

You don’t have to use long words when you speak or write. Most of the time, you can make your points quite well with short ones. In fact, big words may get in the way of what you want to say. And what’s more, when you use short words, no one will need to look them up to learn what they mean.

Short words can make us feel good. They can run and jump and dance and soar high in the clouds. They can kill the chill of a cold night and help us keep our cool on a hot day. They fill our hearts with joy, but they can bring tears to our eyes as well. A short word can be soft or strong. It can sting like a bee or sing like a lark. Small words of love can move us, charm us, lull us to sleep. Short words give us light and hope and peace and love and health ─ and a lot more good things. A small word can be as sweet as the taste of a ripe pear, or tart like plum jam.

Small words make us think. In fact, they are the heart and the soul of clear thought.

When you write, choose the short word if you can find one that will let you say what you want to say. If there is no short word, then go ahead and consider the utilisation of a sesquipedalian expression as a viable alternative, but be cognisant of the actuality that it could conceivably be incumbent upon many of your perusers to expand, by consulting a dictionary or perhaps an alternative lexicon of particularised patois, copious amounts of their invaluable time in attempting to determine the message you are endeavoring to impart to them through the instrumentality of your missive.

My actions were exactly those which I want my copywriting to inspire in others. I was a captive audience, instant convert and my interest translated into a sale. What’s more, I’ll always keep an eye out for new books by that same author now.

So in this copywriting blog post, we’ll discuss why storytelling can have profound impact on your copywriting. Then we’ll look at how to ensure this impact is positive.

But first, why is storytelling such a powerful copywriting tool?

I’ll give you three great reasons.

Ignited imagination makes for powerful persuasion
Get your consumer emotionally connected with your copy and you’ve hit a home run. Whatever action you want people to take, you need to invoke feeling behind this. When people feel sympathy they are moved to make charitable donations. When people feel empowered they want the product that instigates this sensation. So put storytelling to work in your copy and you’ll stir feelings that persuade readers to buy what you’re selling because storytelling makes your copy more meaningful.

Storytelling is the art of subliminal selling
A carefully crafted plot takes your readers on a journey. Each stage of that journey is signposted: need, solution, even fresh possibilities. But often your readers don’t notice what they’re absorbing along the way. A great story will leave your concept, purpose and desired action firmly implanted in your readers’ minds. In the end they may not know why they must act — they simply feel they must. In essence, storytelling when copywriting sells to the subconscious.

Storytelling in copywriting is all about the feel-good feeling
We’re surrounded by stories in our everyday life. Movies, books, even the exchange of news with our friends. Stories feel very natural to people – even reassuring. Herein lies the power of storytelling through copywriting. When your audience feels comfortable they’re more receptive to what you have to say. People instinctively distrust a sales pitch. But storytelling leads your reader down a different path — one of new ideas, exciting possibilities and wonderful solutions. So you can skip right over resistance and scepticism to an open-minded, interested audience.

But under every great story must be an even greater strategy!
When copywriting we need to do more than just spin a good yarn. We don’t write to entertain alone. We want that captivated audience to finish reading our copy — then take action. We want them to pick up the phone and call us, race out to buy our product (like I did with my books) or reach into their pockets for a generous donation. Creative copywriting always has a purpose and it is crucial that you don’t lose sight of this just to tell an entertaining tale.

So how do you make storytelling both strategic and scintillating?

Here are some quick tips to make sure your storytelling has a happy ending:

• Ensure your story is directly relevant and supportive to your purpose.
• Keep it interesting — boring stories get left on the shelf as will your product if readers fail to engage with your tale.
• Stick to what’s relevant — beware your story overtaking your point.
• Make your consumer the hero — show the reader the results they’ll enjoy when they get your product or service. Will they be the envy of their neighbours, make a difference in the world, have a better life?
• Know your consumer inside out — build your story and their heroism on that knowledge.

Give storytelling a go in your next copywriting project. You’ll be thrilled at the results…and probably rejuvenate your creative juices to boot.

About the author: Naomi Cox is a Word Nerds copywriter who has held marketing and public relations positions in corporations and government departments in Australia and New Zealand.

Here are top tips for writing a media release that gets into print or broadcast:

1. Make your media release news, not marketing

Editors and journalists are not in the business of free marketing. Writing an advertisement thinly disguised as a media release will cost you. Not only will you fail to make it into print but you’ll lose credibility for future media release coverage. Journalists and editors are often community focused, be it the public at large or a niche group. So what you need in your media release is hard news that:

• solves a genuine need for your audience
• offers fresh relevant information
• adds unique value to readers in some way.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of outsourcing editing overseas to countries such as India and the Philippines.

Pros of outsourcing editing to an offshore editor

You can probably save money by getting your editing done overseas. Editors in countries such as India and the Philippines will charge substantially less. So even if you go through an outsourcing broker based in Australia the cost will be lower.

Cons of outsourcing editing to an offshore editor

An editor in India or the Philippines might have good command of English spelling, grammar and punctuation. The problem is how much English can vary from country to country. The only way to know these subtleties is to live in the country where the book or document will be published. It’s not as simple as setting your language preferences in Word to Australian English. It really takes an Australian-based editor (or one who has lived here for a number of years) to know how English is spoken and written in Australia.

An editor based in India or the Philippines, who has never lived in Australia, won’t know these subtleties and it will show in their editing. The same will be true of a US editor who tries to edit text for Australian readers or Australian editor who tries to edit text for British readers. Besides the obvious spelling differences, the editors won’t know the nuances of English outside their own countries. This is why Australian publishers hire Australian editors to localise books that were written in the US or UK. They realise that a local editor is needed to revise the publication for the Australian market.  

In addition to spelling and grammar, each English-speaking country has its own style conventions. To edit Australian publications, you need to know these in depth.

For example, the commonly accepted styles for punctuating and capitalising points in bulleted lists differ between countries (see how it should be done in Australia). If an overseas editor doesn’t know these styles, the work won’t be satisfactory. Another example of one of these idiosyncrasies is how time is expressed. In Australia, the accepted style to use a full stop (a period for American readers) between the hour and minute (for example, 5.30). In the United States, the accepted style is to use a colon between the hour and minute (5:30).

There are hundreds of these minor stylistic points that you need to know to correctly edit publications for the Australian market.

Communication barriers are another drawback to outsourcing editing to an overseas editor. In many cases, editing is a collaborative effort between the writer and editor. Trying to communicate with someone overseas about a project can be challenging.

A low hourly rate for editing overseas won’t necessarily translate into a low project price. In the 4-Hour Work Week, Timothy Ferris describes how he had some bad experiences outsourcing to overseas providers. He noted that although the hourly rate was low, it sometimes took substantially more time to get the work done. Whether the hours it took were overstated or it did take longer than expected to complete the work, this is a risk you take when outsourcing to an overseas editor.

Weighing the pros and cons of outsourcing to overseas editors

Before you make a decision, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing editing overseas. If price is your only consideration, then it might be the right decision.

If you’re looking for high quality and someone who understands local usage and style conventions, then outsourcing to an overseas editor is not the way to go.