By Tiffany Markman

The Proposal Writing Cheat-Sheet

2009-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

aka ‘Proposals for the Weary’

So, 2009 is nearly over. Aren’t you thrilled? Even if you’ve had a cracker of a year, it’s been a long one, and pretty much everyone is ready for a break. However… Since 50% of my training enquiry e-mails lately have centred on proposals, proposal writing and proposal writing training, I’ve put together a brief cheat-sheet for you, so that when you go back to work in ’10, you’ll have the right proposal ammo.

(This article is an absolute must-read for salespeople, marketers, management and anyone else who has to persuade prospects, in writing, to part with their money.)

What’s a proposal for?

The proposal writing-and-presentation process is grounded in the belief that a partnership should develop between the supplier and the client: the supplier has the ideas, capacity and products to solve problems, while the client has the financial resources. Bring the two together, and the result is a collaboration. Assuming, of course, that the the client likes what the supplier has to say. So, read on…

Let’s consider three things:

1. The goal of a proposal is to persuade: “Here’s what I want you to conclude, and here’s why…”

2. Most proposal evaluators don’t want to be there: “Here is what I hope you’ll read and here’s the obligatory detail that you’re not going to bother with…”

3. A winning proposal is easy to evaluate. Picture the evaluator with a checklist in hand going through your proposal – check, check, check. State conclusions that reflect the evaluation criteria, and then explain how or why.

There is no universal standard for layout or composition of proposals. If you think about this, it makes sense. A proposal is intended to persuade someone. And what’s required to do that is up to the person being persuaded. In short, if you want your proposal to succeed, you must know your reader. If your reader wants:

• … detail, give it to them. If they don’t want to do a lot of reading, keep it short.
• … references, give it to them. Otherwise, don’t.
• … pricing, give it to them. If they’re not ready for pricing, don’t give it to them.
• … contractual details, give it to them. If they’re not ready, don’t force them.
• … to know who will be doing the work, tell them. If they don’t care, don’t tell them.
• … things presented chronologically, organise your proposal that way.
• … information organised functionally, organise your proposal that way.

If you don’t know the answers, find them out. And if the reader doesn’t know what they want or need (this happens often!), give them criteria to help them figure it out.

So, define your readers

The main aim of any proposal is to compel the reader to do something: purchase goods or services, fund a project or implement a programme. Your reader will evaluate your plan according to how well it answers questions about what you’re proposing, how you plan to do it, when you plan to do it and how much it’ll cost.

To answer these questions, you must uncover the level of knowledge your audience possesses. You must also find out whether your readers are members of your technical community, your language community, or both. So, when putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard, stop for a brief moment and ask yourself:

1. Who will be the primary readers of this document?
2. Who will be the secondary readers? Will there be any other readers?

The key is to focus on the primary readers, with slight attention to the secondary readers. Obviously, there’s no way of knowing who else may stumble across your document. Here are some things to think about when defining your audience:

• Can I describe my readers? Who exactly are they?
• What is their position within the company or in general?
• What is their background?
• How much do they already know about my topic?
• What are their needs?
• Can I guess what their feelings toward my document will be?

Tip: For readers outside your specific area of expertise, you might provide an executive summary written in easily accessible language. Or, you might include a glossary of terms that explains technical language. You can also attach appendices that translate technical information into generally understood language.

Once you have a basic picture of your audience, try to understand how they work.

How your readers read

Proposal readers seldom read proposals word for word. They scan – choosing individual keywords, sentences and paragraphs of interest while skimming over the rest. Morkes and Nielsen have established that 79% of proposal readers scan any new page they come across; only 16% read every word. (Who cares about 16%?)

Why scan?

1. First, it can be uncomfortable for the eyes to read reams of text. Think about it.
2. Second, the reading experience fosters a certain amount of impatience.
3. Third, proposal readers are ‘busy and important’ - they want to get to the facts.

Give them all the facts

Here’s a simple approach to help you cover all the bases in your proposal. For each requirement that you must address, make sure you answer: who, what, where, how, when, and why. Repeat it til you have it memorised. Yes, really.

• Who: who will do the work, who will manage the work, who the customer should call if there is a problem, who is responsible for what…

• What: what needs to be done/delivered, what will be required to do it, what the customer can expect, what it will cost…

• Where: where the work will be done, where it be will delivered…

• How: how work will be done, how it will be deployed, how it will be managed, how you’ll achieve quality assurance and customer satisfaction, how risks will be mitigated, how long it will take, how the work will benefit the customer…

• When: when you will start, when key milestones will be scheduled, when the project will be complete, when payment is due…

• Why: why you have chosen the approaches and alternatives you have, why the customer should select you…

These key areas can help you to ensure that your proposal says everything needed to answer unasked questions. For each customer requirement, go through the list.

What’s it made of?

A typical business proposal might include:

• An Executive Summary… introducing your company, what you will do or provide to the customer, and how the customer will benefit from what you propose.

• A statement of work or technical approach… describing what you will do or provide, with an implementation schedule and description of deliverables.

• A management plan… describing how you will organise any work to be performed. A schedule of milestones or allocation of resources may be provided.

• Corporate qualifications… that describe your capability to do or provide what you are proposing. Relevant prior experience is usually highlighted.

• A staffing plan… that describes how the project will be staffed. If particular people are important to the approach, their resumes are usually included.

• Contracts and pricing... If the proposal is being used to close a business deal, business and contractual terms are usually provided.

• A call-to-action… The closing paragraph of your proposal should contain your ‘call to action’, where you say what you want to happen next.

Some clients set a page limit. Some don’t. Some will tell you the format/layout to use, and some won’t. Some will tell you what evaluation criteria and process they’ll follow. And some won’t. Bottom line: the customer sets the standards and defines the rules.

Tip: If your proposal is going to be submitted to Government (via an RfP), its composition and layout may have regulatory requirements to comply with.

And in the end…

Take as much time as you have available to proof-read the document, have a colleague check it for you, and send it off with confidence. Of course, if you get stuck, or you simply don’t want to have to worry about all this stuff, contact me.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

How to write articles for your own business

2009-11-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

One of the big trends in small-to-medium business marketing at the moment is content creation: writing articles, blog posts and newsletter articles on a regular basis and using these to boost website traffic, public interest or even sales.

The idea is that, today, people like value in the form of free info on your area of expertise. [I guess that's why I write these articles.] So here's a three-step tutorial, ideal for non-writers on how to write articles for your own business.

Step 1: Get the research process right

The process of creating a feature article, a web précis or anything else begins with research - and how different people handle this process varies according to their personalities, experience, interests, technological skills - and yes, the time available. But here's a pretty research good structure to use as a base (ie when you don't know where to start):

Create a skeleton

Using your brief (if you have one) or your brain (in the absence of a brief), write up a skeleton structure of the piece. Start with intro, then body, then conclusion. In between, populate this with ideas on what you can talk about under each section. Slot in info you may already have at your disposal. Then, look for the information gaps. This will tell you what you may need to do research-wise.
Get yourself online

MY way is to start by Googling every single thing there is to know about the topic or person, and re-phrasing relevant bits and pieces as part of my skeleton. Obviously, I have no intention of using all of it, but this check-it-all approach ensures that I don't miss anything good - or leave out something critical. However, there will still be gaps...
So make some calls

The best way to fill a piece with good-quality, relevant, accurate, colourful stuff is to phone relevant role-players. Get quotes from them, and get off-the-record background info that you can paraphrase. By the time you've done steps 1 and 2 above, you should know enough about the topic or person not to make a tit of yourself during the phone interview...

Tip: When interviewing, always ask: ‘Can I quote you on that?'
Refine what you have

Now is the time to start neatening things up. To create links and transitions between points. To make connections. And to chop out the extra waffle or the unnecessary detail.

Once this is done, you'll either have a big skeleton that merely needs to be written up into a coherent piece, or you'll have a few more gaps. Use Google, the telephone or your colleagues, associates and contacts to help you fill these. Or, be creative.

Step 2: Start each piece with a BANG!

If you fail to hook your readers with your first few sentences, it won't matter how brilliant the rest of your piece is - because nobody's going to be paying much attention. Conversely, if you engage your audience at the very beginning, you'll increase their receptivity to everything you're trying to say.

Here are five quick and easy formulae to help you hit the ground running:

Make it personal

There is no faster way to tune readers into your message than to package that message in the form of a story. Personal accounts - whether they focus on adversity, nostalgia, or triumph - can establish an instant rapport with your audience.
Use a quirky fact

The revelation of an offbeat statistic or the unveiling of a common myth can ease the introduction to a difficult topic or even woo skeptics: “According to a recent survey, the average South African currently spends 15 minutes preparing dinner.”
Put them on the edge of their seats

If you manage to stimulate your readers' curiosity in the beginning, using a rhetorical question, chances are they'll stick around for the answer to the question you raised.
Create a scenario

"Imagine a world in which a building senses earthquake vibrations and adjusts the resistance of its walls to withstand the tremors. Self-navigating cars travel the nation's highways, slowing down, changing lanes, and 'choosing' the fastest route. These might sound like ideas of a Star Trek script, but they will become realities sooner than people think."
Use a relevant quote

Although quotations generally do not make for as compelling openings as statements offered in the author's own voice, they can (particularly if they manage to invoke irony or humour) effectively set the stage for what is to follow.

Tip: Regardless of which approach you choose, the bottom line remains the same: don't cast your line without first baiting your hook.

Step 3: Write an attention-grabbing headline

Nothing distinguishes a good, readable article from an amateur one like headline quality.

Because headlines are prominent, the reader's eye goes to them first. In the first few seconds, the reader's first impression of the piece is formed, so taking the time to write good headlines can't be overstated. Well-written headlines distill the essence of a story. They are positive and specific; they contain strong, active verbs and short, simple words.

To put it plainly, an arresting headline:

Gets attention. The first function of a good headline is to get the reader's attention. That's why it's printed in larger type. That's why its few words must be carefully chosen.
Tells the story. A good headline tells readers what an article is about. It induces them to read on. Even if they don't, however, they can catch the essence. Readers should be able to pick up the main news by scanning only the headline.
Classifies the story. The size and style of a headline give readers some idea of the importance of the story. They show the relation of this story to others. The bigger the head and the more prominence it is given on a page, the more important the story.

Here are eight simple ways to write more powerful headlines for your articles:

Use active voice.

The active voice saves words. ‘Man Bites Dog' is livelier than ‘Dog is Bitten by Man'. The subject and verb act as one. Also, the passive voice costs extra words and often makes a headline too long to fit the space available.
Use present tense.

To convey a feeling of immediacy, write headlines in the present tense, even if the story reports something that happened in the past. Write ‘We Win Award' rather than ‘We Won Award'. Use the infinitive to announce a future event: ‘Team to Develop New Product'.
Use short words.

Use short synonyms for long words. ‘Panel' or ‘group' will more likely fit into a headline than ‘committee'. Adjectives are seldom needed in headlines, and there's seldom room for them.
Be specific.

Use precise words. ‘Editor Named Employee-of-the-Month' communicates a more concrete idea than ‘Woman Named Employee-of-the-Month'. If readers know the editor, write ‘Janice Wright Named Employee-of-the-Month'. (Headlines that name a person work especially well with a photo.) Being specific does not include putting insignificant or outdated matter in a headline. The specific date, for instance, does not matter much after an event.
Omit articles.

Generally, the articles ‘a', ‘an' and ‘the' are omitted to improve action and to save space.
Avoid punctuation.

In almost all instances, exclamation marks don't have the effect you imagine - they squeak like adolescent cheerleaders instead of commanding attention like good broadcasters. Replace them with strong, accurate verbs. Also use commas sparingly, (although the comma is often used in place of ‘and' in headlines: ‘CEO, MD Praised by Media').
Use important numbers only.

Except for ‘one', numbers should be written as numerals: ‘23 Leave Head Office for Indaba'.
Avoid puns and rhymes.

Too often people go for ‘cute and clever' when trying to write headlines. Above all else, your headline needs to work and so cute and clever can easily be misconstrued. People don't get the pun or don't understand how it relates, and won't stick around to figure it out.

Tip: A list of short headline words is available in Headlines and Deadlines by Garst & Bernstein. It provides synonyms for long words and is a good tool for making headlines fit.

The bottom line

Now you have the basics. All that's left is to find relevant, interesting and compelling topics to develop in line with the above steps. Remember: your readers want good-quality, well-written, well-considered information and if you can give it to them, for free, in nice palatable chunks, you'll have done your business, your brand and your credibility a great service.

[If, however, you don't have the time, don't have the inclination or couldn't be bothered to write your own pieces, email me on info@tiffanymarkman.co.za. This is, after all, my day job…]

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

How to apologise sincerely in your business writing

2009-11-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

You can't please everyone. At some point on your professional path, you'll do something silly: offend a client, annoy a customer, give shoddy service or even be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you'll have to apologise.

Now, this can go horribly pear-shaped and cause even more damage - or go beautifully right and earn you massive long-term loyalty. This article is about the different types of written apology and how to craft them perfectly first time around.

Types of apology

Type 1: the conditional apology

Not all apologies are flat-out apologies. You know this, right? Not everyone has a genuine right to lose their marbles, gooi their toys and throw a tantrum. Some people (yes, even customers) are sometimes wrong. And in that case, you use what I call the ‘conditional apology'.

Let's say you own a hotel. A client spends a week there and has a good time. No complaints. Except that the bathroom sink is chipped. At the end of his stay, just before he settles his bill, there's a marble-losing session and the accompanying request for a discount or ‘special extra'.

What do you do?

You issue a firm, ‘I'm very sorry, Sir, but...' and you explain that while you can't discount his stay or tack on an extra three free nights, you'd love to offer him a complimentary bottle of wine. You see, the compensation should be proportional to the error and you're well within your rights - if a complainant makes an unreasonable request - to apologise conditionally and move on.

Type 2: the cover-your-back apology

Then there's the situation in which a colleague or manager does something wrong, and you're the person who has to handle it. You may have had nothing whatsoever to do with the slight, but now it's your baby and it's screaming the house down. Enter: the ‘cover-your-back apology'.

In this case, the sad truth is that you have to apologise and you have to do it without assigning blame, hinting at internal discord or shifting the responsibility sideways or upwards. You have to pretend that everyone's error is your personal error and appear genuinely, sincerely, deeply sorry. You can chase up the miscreant in the background, but keep it away from the public.

Type 3: the flat-out apology

Let's say something's gone wrong. Big-time. You've missed an important deadline, lost customer data, cost a client money, or made a bad decision. You're really sorry. And you need to make good. Fast. This is when you issue what I call the ‘flat-out apology'. Here's how...

In terms of actual content, a proper flat-out apology should always include the following:

A detailed account of the situation - you should be as specific as possible and your apology should be focused on the particular event. Don't expand the apology by linking it to issues aside from the offence at hand.
Acknowledgement of the damage caused - show that you understand the situation and legitimise the complainant's reaction. Make sure the apology conveys that you recognise not only why but how much the person was injured by your actions. Saying ‘I know you were disappointed' is not the same as ‘I know how incredibly insulted and angry you were...' The latter is a better way to convey that you're accepting responsibility.
Taking responsibility for the situation - without offering excuses, let them know that you understand that the event and your actions did cause them harm. Say ‘I'm sorry I was rude', not ‘I'm sorry if I was rude'. ‘Sorry if' is one of those potentially costly qualifiers that can turn a good apology into a really bad one, so be careful. Words really matter. ‘I apologise for insulting you' is much better than ‘I apologise if what I said seemed insulting or offensive'.

Don't defend. It's not about showing that the other person is wrong to be upset; it's about a flat-out, no-holds-barred, down-on-your-knees (figuratively) apology. No excuses.
A statement of regret, using the words, ‘I'm sorry', and a promise that it won't happen again - these are important to rebuilding the relationship and are key ingredients in any apology. After all, there's no value in apologising for something you intend to repeat.
Asking for forgiveness and making restitution - this gives the power back to the complainant. It tells them that you've done all you can by apologising and providing whatever compensation is feasible. Remember that most customers who have a complaint resolved to their satisfaction are more loyal after the event than they ever were before.

Tiffany's ‘sorry sandwich'

So now you're clear on content; on what actually goes into your ‘Sorry' letter or email. But how do you structure it? Do you launch straight in... or do you prepare the ground a little first?

Well, research shows that good news should appear in positions of high emphasis; ie in the beginning and/or at the end of a message, while bad news should take a position of secondary emphasis; in other words, in the middle of a message. Imagine a sandwich, a bagel or a hamburger, with the nice soft stuff on top and bottom and the meaty main stuff in the centre.

This is my ‘sorry sandwich': a simple way to build your written apology so that it gets through.

The top slice - your intro, where you say something nice like, ‘At Sophie's Solutions, we pride ourselves on making our clients happy. And you're a particularly valued client, who's been with us over five years [or whatever the case may be]. But it seems we got it wrong this time...'
The filling - your apology, based on the flat-out formula above.
The bottom slice - your close, where you remind the person that this is not normally how you operate, and reassure them that you will take steps to prevent similar occurrences in future, perhaps by altering your systems, monitoring your service, providing additional training, etc.

A nice touch: Before things are resolved, while you're still investigating the intricacies of the issue, send the person an email that says something like, ‘Just a quick note to let you know that I'm looking into this matter. I'm so sorry to hear that you've not been getting the service you deserve. Please know that I will deal with this with the utmost urgency and get back to you.'

Just to entertain you...

No matter where I am or how acclaimed the service experience promises to be, one startling revelation hits me again and again: some people should not be serving other human beings. ‘John' is one such individual. Have a look at how his apologies go hideously wrong...

***

Dear John,

When we arrived at your lodge for check-in, there was no-one around. We walked through the restaurant and bar area, even visiting the toilet before we saw anyone. We were then checked in by the barman, who read the activities, meal times, generator times, etc, off a piece of paper.

Yes, well, we did not know exactly when to expect you and the rest of the lodge guests were off on the sun-downer safari. Remember: you are in the bush and not at a busy city hotel.

Dear John,

Our butler led us to our room, unlocked it and after a quick ‘There's nothing to show you; enjoy your stay', he disappeared. He never showed us the coffee facilities, how to use the air-con, etc.

He probably saw that he was dealing with clever people, so he knew you'd be able to recognise a kettle and an air-con remote, and know how to press red for on and + or - for hot and cold.

Dear John,

There were cobwebs in our bathroom.

This is Africa. Spiders can do their job in an hour. If we spray insecticide all over the place, how environmentally friendly will that be?

***

What a beaut.

Use my advice to ensure you don't come across like this fellow. ‘Cos if you do, sorry for you.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

How copywriting can make or break an online business

2009-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

by Kevin Thomas

A great variety of factors are weaved into the success or failure of a internet business. You could even make a credible case that there are a significantly higher number of factors that need to be weighed for an online business as opposed to a traditional brick and mortar one.

Yes, the online environment is one that is exceedingly different and that means a different approach will be required. You need to stay above all the trends, boost search engine rankings, and then convert all those visitors into paying customers. Mastering these factors will all play a huge role in your potential success. That is why mastering them is so important.

However, if there was one key to success many overlook when it comes to an online business, it would be the ability to be good at copy writing.

Copy writing is often used a bit too loosely as a descriptive term and this greatly undermines the ability to truly understand it. Some believe that copy writing refers to little more than putting content on a website.

As if!

No, copy writing embodies a strong psychological marketing approach designed to guide people into making specific decisions. When you have solid copy writing on a website, you can boost conversions by making people opt to perform certain decisions thanks to the way they have been engaged into the process. Is that not what the business owner intends.

Content along the lines of reviews, testimonials or product and service details are designed to be informative, helpful secondary information that people seek out of interest. On its own, it is not intended to sell anything directly. At best, it is designed to make a minor soft-sell through presenting people more confidence in what the business may be offering.

It can also achieve this by merely informing them so that they will be able to make an accurate judgment based on their interest.

With copy writing, there is a much more direct push for a sale made. It does a lot more than “just” inform people of the product and it certainly is a lot stronger than merely hinting at an approach to take an action. Rather, copy writing specifically tells people what they should do.

There will also be clear and obvious encouragement for specific actions when using copy writing. This will allow people to make an immediate action without ever having to lose customers to complacency, forgetfulness or competition from other businesses.

There are a great many business owners that take a complete hands off approach and think people will figure their business plan out and then make the decisions needed to become customers. To say this is a bad idea would be a severe understatement. In fact, it is a complete and total fundamental misunderstanding of how things work in online businesses.

Poorly designed websites will not lead to good sales. The same can be said of any website that embodies awful copy writing.

Copy writing can prove to be the clear link between a product or service and consumer or prospect. Copy writing can bring the two together and present everything out in the open. You can either hope that a soft-sell approach delivers enough to get the job done, or you can seek out sales in an active manner through copy writing.

Such writing delivers the effective difference between passively watching a prospect walk out the door vs. convincing the prospect to make the person an offer that can’t be refused. As the owner of an online business you need to highlight all of the business’ strengths and benefits. Copy writing is the means in which you can do this and the end result will be more sales and conversions.

Most individuals embody a short attention span and this creates the requirement that they need all things laid out directly in from of them.

When I buy a product, what exactly is it that I would be receiving? Is there a reason that I should buy your product instead of some other company’s wares? What exactly are the benefits with working in association with your organization? If I take action immediately, what do I get in return? What is it that I will I be missing if I opt not to make this purchase?

These are the common questions that people will seek answers to. This is what copy writing has the potential to deliver.

The bottom line here is that copy writing has the potential to make or break an online business. Without high quality copy writing, a website will not stand out from the crowd. But with proper copy writing, the ability to effectively and quickly convince and convert customers is likely and this will bring in a great deal more sales.

A proprietor can either hope that a hands-off, soft-sell approach works or the proprietor can seize the reins and pull the sales in with copy writing. The right choice is obvious...

Kevin Thomas is a traditional and online entrepreneur who is teaching people how to establish businesses online using effective copy writing skills at the The Carbon Copy Pro Times.

Source: http://ow.ly/Gf2S

The ‘recession discount' and other fairytales

2009-07-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

There's a new beast in town. It's short, hairy and smells a bit rancid. It snaps at your ankles and leaves slimy trails on your office floor. It doesn't speak, but rather grunts and grumbles. And just when you think you've shut your door and left it out in the cold, it pops out from behind the dustbin and bears its rotting yellow teeth at you.

It's the Recession, and it's being used as an excuse, far and wide, for customers and clients to request bizarre (and often enormous) discounts for the same work you've been doing brilliantly all this time. This, ladies and gents, holds about as much water as an old garden bucket. So here's a look at how it unfolds and how to handle it...

1. How it unfolds

Helen's story

I was requested by my client, a PR company, to write four substantial pieces for a parastatal tourism concern. They offered R6000 for all four, at 1000 words each. My fee when I was contracted was R3 a word. I stuck to my guns, pointing out that this would mean a lousy R1.50 a word, and declined politely, saying that I would do only two of the pieces, at my usual R3 rate. Within a day, they agreed and a few days later, they wanted a third story, "at your R3 rate". The lesson: Stick to your guns. You're worth it, and they do have the money!

Sarah's story

I had a client who asked if I would give her a 'special rate' for a job she wanted done. She had just finished telling me about her cruise on the QE2 after a holiday in the UK and her new Merc, one of the first with a remote ignition. She hadn't really had a chance to drive it yet. Poor dear. I declined, and never worked for her again.

Tim's story

There's a huge nationwide concern I've done some work for. They'd loved it. So I was chuffed when a different person from the same company called for a quote on a similar job. I went in conservatively, because I wanted it. A few days later, I got a call from the contact, to tell me that my quote was higher than their budget and they'd like a discount. “What sort of discount?” I asked, thinking that as I'd worked for them before, I'd knock 5% off. “Forty percent,” she answered. In my shock, I asked her to repeat herself several times, spluttered an explanation about why this wasn't feasible for me and put down the phone feeling like I'd had my pockets picked.

Vanessa's story

Lately the call for a ‘regular customer' discount has been unreal. So I humour the client,"Yes, I understand. We're all struggling at the moment. I know you're a small business too. Yes, we have to stick together". But in my head I'm thinking, contacting me once every three months does not really qualify you as a regular customer. So I proceed to give him a slightly inflated price and with a "But for you...", I lower it back to the normal price. Problem solved.

In all three of the above instances, the client has a bit of a cheek. Your prices are your prices. You're providing the same service now that you were last year this time - except now, your overheads are higher and life's costing you more.

As you can see above, some companies don't put up with this nonsense. But there are a couple of ways to a) analyse whether or not being hardegat will work for you in the short-term and b) compromise if required, without losing face.

2. How to handle it

First things first: context.

Is the current economic climate killing you? Are you battling right now, and desperate to quote on, and get, every job that comes your way? If so, ‘giving in' to the client may work for you and get you the thumbs-up you're hoping for. But please, if you are going to comply, be sure to give the client a good reason** for the discount - not just the bleeding recession!

Alternatively, are you pretty busy? Perhaps not as busy as you were last year, but plodding along, getting most of the work you quote on, covering your costs and being able to breathe when you climb into bed at night?

If you are, consider the fact that recessions create vacuums and that smart businesses are those that step into the gaps left by scared businesses. If you can grit your teeth and uphold your prices, you'll benefit in the medium-term, because customers will learn to take your professionalism, standards and rules seriously.

Please also keep in mind that (and I've polled widely on this in my field and other industries) the target audience may be more cautious about spending - quibbling over costs, asking more questions, reading the fine print - but those clients who are serious about the product or service are still spending. It just takes a little longer.

In this regard, patience is truly a virtue, and while you're being patient ask yourself, “Is this a sincere client, or is he/she wasting my time?”

Tip: if you're not comfortable offering discounts, but you do want to give clients a little something extra as a ‘thank you' for spending their money with you, offer an extra set of free changes to a copywriting job, a spare set of prints with a photography job, an ‘anytime email follow-up service' with a consultation, another month tacked on to a contract...

** Secondly, give a reason

Call it an NGO discount, a ‘regular clients' discount or a volume discount. Call it anything you like, but don't undermine yourself by nodding your head gormlessly and hacking 10% off your quotation.

Say to the client, ‘No, I don't offer a recession discount. But as you're a ________, I can offer you my __________ discount. That's the best I can do for you, because I want to be able to put as much of my time/resources/effort [pick one] as I can into this job. I don't want you to lose out.' And put it in writing, on the quote, in bold letters, just above the pre-VAT sub-total.

Disclaimer

Now, I have to admit that I've used the recession myself in recent months - when negotiating overseas travel costs, getting quotes on vehicle graphics and complaining about shoddy treatment at a Parkhurst restaurant.

But, and this is a biggie, I haven't done so to guilt-trip suppliers into giving me better deals. No, I've used the R-word to unsubtly nudge people into giving me better service.

You'd think this self-evident, wouldn't you? Sinking economy, widespread retrenchment, massive panic; ergo, great service, big smiles, huge effort, nice work... Sorry for you. It seems that the opposite is, in fact, true.

Here's a tip: while the Big R is no reason to start slashing at your bottom line with a rusty machete, it is a reason to offer never-before-seen levels of service, delivery and reliability. Now more than ever, clients need motivation to unload their precious loot onto you. Yes, they're probably going to spend it anyway, but they'll do it quicker with the guy who goes a bit further.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Re-entering the job market: self-marketing and résumé writing

2009-07-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

Suffering from a recession-era retrenchment? Been unceremoniously ousted from your job? Latest casualty of ‘Last In, First Out' syndrome? Massive dent to your ego notwithstanding, a retrenchment can mean huge stress and even family trauma, on top of the urgent need to find yourself another job. A nicer job. A better-paying job. And hopefully, a more ‘you' job.

This article is dedicated to helping you to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and follow a set of simple steps to re-entering the job market, including self-marketing and résumé-writing. The former should, ideally, happen before the latter - so that you approach updating your CV with more self-knowledge, greater inspiration and better words than you had before.

[Note: if you still have your job but you have to oust others from theirs, or you're spending time around the-tragic-and-recently-retrenched at present, this article is a must-read for you.]

1. Find your niche

Too many people believe that a brand starts and ends with a pretty logo and a nice business card. Not true. As a job-seeker, your brand is you. And you can't find your dream job without putting yourself out there. After all, it's your skills and abilities that people will be paying for.

So, as a person re-entering the job market, you need to create your brand. There are five elements to consider when deciding on how best to express ‘Brand You', and here they are:

What are your core strengths?
What are your own goals?
What are your passions?
Does your brand fit your personality?
What makes you uncomfortable?

2. Establish your true value

When you've been on a job interview, you want the company to come back to you with a contract in one hand and a thumbs-up sign in the other. But that doesn't always happen. Sometimes when you follow up, the company says, “Sorry for you. Application unsuccessful.”

This puts you in a tricky situation. On the one hand, it may not have been the company for you. On the other, you need a job and your self-esteem's just taken a bit of a dive. So now what? How do you keep going, with a clear sense of what you're worth? Here are a few tips:

Become a shameless self-promoter

The people who get the best jobs are usually those who know how to punt themselves - who put themselves out there with a good dose of (sometimes fake) self-confidence and work on building their brand. Here's how you start:

Complete the following sentences, as if you were your own mother/father, writing about you...

_____________ is an absolutely brilliant _________________ who can add ________ to your company. Hire him/her now and watch as _____________________________________.
Chew on other ideas, like freelancing

In any given profession, freelancers sell or contract their work to clients, rather than being employed. Freelancing means using your skills to accommodate your work/life balance. It opens up the potential to steer your career in a direction that suits you. It's also about working at your own pace and taking responsibility for your future.

On the up-side:
1. You're your own boss: this can be extremely enjoyable and very satisfying.
2. You have more freedom: freelancers can, mostly, choose when and where to work.
3. You're more marketable: by moving from company to company and sometimes contract to contract, freelancers can develop varied experience, impressive CVs and good contacts.
4. You pay less tax: freelancers who take good advice can reduce their tax burden.
But the best part is that freelancers tend to earn more money than permanent employees. I promise. There's also a delicious turnover of people, working environments and cultural diversity, so you don't get as bored as quickly. I promise. Of course, if freelancing were such an easy way to earn a living, everyone would do it - which would defeat the purpose entirely.

On the down-side:
1. There's less security: freelancers are not protected in the same ways as employees.
2. There's more uncertainty: there are no guarantees of new work, money or benefits.
3. There's more hassle: because you're running your own business, there are forms to complete, rules to obey and accounts to keep.
4. You're on your ace: as well as the possibility of being lonely, being your own boss means that nobody pays you when you take a holiday, you're a new mom or you're sick.
My take? No matter what the additional stresses of going it alone, it tends to even out when you face less traffic, less office drama, no leave forms, no retrenchment risk - and most of the profit!
Master the crucial art of networking

A key part of marketing yourself is making professional contacts who can support you, advise you, collaborate with you - and refer you to job opportunities. How to start networking?
- Participate in appropriate Facebook groups.
- Join online social networking forums such as Twitter, MyGenius or LinkedIn.
- Join professional industry organizations.
- Speak to people in your field and in related fields.
- Go to conferences that are relevant to what you do.
- Give business cards to absolutely everyone.

3. Discover what you like

What's your favourite movie? Write down the title. Is it an action, a comedy, an adventure, a romance, a sci-fi thriller, a courtroom drama, a historical saga or a smart foreign flick?
What are your favourite TV channels?Write them down. Do you watch TV to escape or to learn? Is your best show mindless or meaningful? What programmes really excite you?
What kind of art are you attracted to? Write it down. Photography? Modern art? Classic painters? Look around your home or your office - what pieces appeal to you most?
What kind of music do you like? Are you into hip hop, reggae, classical music, jazz, golden oldies, pop, foreign sounds? Listen to the radio and note the stuff that gets you going.
What outdoor environment inspires you? If given a choice, would you rather be sitting at an outdoor table on Sandton Square, on a picnic blanket at Zoo Lake or on a remote mountaintop in Nepal? Do you feel alive when you're scuba diving with sharks or strolling lazily around an organic market? Where do you feel closest to yourself and most peaceful?

Your professional self is connected to your creative self. Review your notes about your favourite creative endeavours and places; you'll be surprised what they reveal about your career path.

[Disclaimer: the insights you gain from the above interrogation are not meant to appear in your CV. In other words, don't put a sentence into your Personal Profile or Interests section that reads, “I love long walks on the beach and Dirty Dancing.” The intention here, in case you haven't gathered, is to uncover professional avenues you haven't considered before, because they were linked to your hobbies, not to your ‘real job'. If you can - and so many of us do - make money out of doing something that really excites you, you're in for a happier life.]

4. Update your CV

When applying for any job, you'll have to present a résumé to the interviewer or prospective employer. This should be a concise, clear summary of your overall qualifications, including your skills, experience and other info that allows your personality to stand out.

But you probably haven't gone through the job-seeking process in a while, much less given thought to your recruitment prospects. And if you've been busy, you haven't kept your CV updated. So you don't know what ‘they' want to know, and in what format.

Below is a generally accepted standard of the data a CV should contain:

Personal and contact details - the obvious stuff
Personal profile - a 4-5 line sales pitch on ‘Brand You'
Educational qualifications - working in reverse chronological order
Additional qualifications and memberships - to highlight your all-roundedness
Work experience - keep it simple and be honest (again, in reverse order)
Interests -to show what a capable, creative individual you are
References - only list people who'll absolutely rave about you

But above all, remember the fable of the plumber - and know your own worth:

A lady had a blocked pipe and called a plumber. He arrived, she pointed to the pipe and he kicked it. The water started running. He said, ‘That'll be R450', to which she replied, 'How can you charge me R450 for fixing this pipe? All you did was kick it!' And the plumber answered, “I'm not charging you R450 for kicking it; I'm charging you R450 for knowing where to kick it.”

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Does your website copy work? Part 1

2009-05-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

So you're getting traffic, but not converting it into sales. Or, you're not getting traffic. Or, and this is the worst one, you have no idea whether or not your audience knows your website exists. Here, for the non-techies, and for people who are scared of words like SEO, html and metatags, are the first five of 10 easy ways to ensure that your website copy is actually working.

Google has a set of rules for the kind of web copy that attracts sticky visitors - ie visitors who arrive and stick around long enough to find out what you do, so they can give you money - and if you don't have insight into the rules, your website is just spraying and praying (expensively).

1. In other words...

Have you used synonyms in your copy?

Good web copy should include words that are related to, and synonyms for, the keyword phrases that best represent you or your organisation. I don't mean endlessly repeating the same words (and scaring your readers away); I mean assuming that different web users will use different, contextually-related words to find what they're looking for on the Internet.

Let's say you're an ad agency. Don't over-egg your web copy with the words ‘ad agency' and ‘advertising' and cross your fingers. Rather salt-and-pepper your copy with relevant related words like ‘marketing', ‘target market', ‘branding', ‘communication', ‘niche' and ‘promotion'.

Hot tip: You can use Google's superb ‘Google Sets' function to help you. It asks you for a few relevant keywords and then gives you a list of related keywords that often come up in searches.

2. To put a fine point on it...

Are your attention-grabbers explicit?

One of the characteristics of good, strong web copy is the use of specific, descriptive words instead of vague generalities. So, rather than ‘Need sales aids?' use ‘Are you looking for branded posters, sales letters, direct mail or sales brochures?' Specificity helps web users because it demonstrates relevance and makes web copy more dynamic. It also ensures that, no matter what they search for, your prospects will find you.

Hot tip: Mention your suburb, city and country on your home page and elsewhere in your website. People tend to look for suppliers and service providers close to home, and are more likely to type in ‘printing company southern suburbs Cape Town' than ‘printing company'.

3. Sorry, what?

Is there sufficient repetition of your main ideas, in different forms?

Because only the gods know what web users will search for when looking for someone like you, you should use different forms, expressions and manifestations of your keywords. Going back to the ad agency example, don't just use ‘advertising'. Use ‘ad', ‘advert', ‘advertise', ‘advertize', ‘advertisement' and so on.

Hot tip: Some people use US spelling and some people, UK or SA. Now, the web is a global medium, so even though I usually beg my clients to pick one and be consistent in their print material, the rules are different online and you'll be sure to get more hits if you use both. Disclaimer: There will be people who are too puristic to do this. That's okay; I was one for ages.

4. Good words, everywhere

Does every webpage feature a different ‘page title' of 5-15 words?

(That's the white text on the blue background on the top left-hand corner of every website and webpage you visit. It usually says, redundantly, ‘Welcome to [insert company name]'. Wow! Really? Gosh, thanks.)

So often I see websites that just repeat their company name here. This is a blatant waste of valuable web real estate, because not only does the omnipotent Google use page titles when deciding where to rank your precious content, page titles also present a golden opportunity for you to highlight a message, reiterate a position or draw attention to a unique selling point.

On my website, for example, I could've just said, ‘Tiffany Markman' or the gloriously original, ‘Welcome to Tiffany Markman's website'. Instead, the Page Title of my home page goes way beyond the call of duty with the garrulous-yet-very-effective ‘Tiffany Markman - Freelance - Copy Editor - Writer - Copywriter - Trainer - Sandton - Johannesburg - South Africa'.

Hot tip: Use the focus of the page to guide the page title in question. If you're a graphic design company, for instance, your Services page could have the title ‘[Name] - Graphic Design - Web Design - Logos - Corporate ID - Stationery - DTP - Printing - Morningside - Durban'.

5. Keep it real

Do you use meaningful, not cute or clever, page tabs (ie, not like the ones in this article)?

This is important because your tabs are what web users use to navigate their way through your site. It's what they use to make a ‘buying decision' about how long to stick around. And you only have 15 seconds or three clicks, average, before they lose interest and disappear (probably to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or the deliciously revolting Perez Hilton's blog).

So why waste those stingy seconds on having your readers dither about what you're trying to say? For instance, don't use ‘Our Hearts and Souls' for ‘About Us'; ‘Head Honchos' for ‘Management Profiles' or ‘Our Digits' for ‘Contact Info'. Yes, there's room for cute ‘n clever words if you're a cute or clever brand, but - let me make this clear - not in your page tabs!

Hot tip: Use the page tabs people expect to see: Home, Solutions / Services / Products, Branches, About Us, Press Room / Media / News, Gallery, Contact Us. They're boring, I know, but you can hopefully wow the web user with other things (your prices, skills or service).

6. In conclusion

Start by using the five questions above to evaluate your web copy in terms of ‘stickiness'. Spend as much time and energy on it as you can spare - and if you get tangled up, you need more info or you'd like to take things up a notch, email me on webcopy@tiffanymarkman.co.za.

Alternatively, wait for Part II of this series, and really revolutionise your website copy!

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Why you shouldn’t do your own editing (unless that’s your job)

2009-03-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

The last time you wrote a document, didn’t it make you mad when – after checks and double-checks – someone pointed out the error you should’ve spotted before you printed 50 of the bleeding thing?

Welcome to the world of what I call ‘Neuro Autocorrect’, where your brain fixes your mistakes so you don’t see them. Here’s how it happens, why it happens, but more important, what you can do about it.

Poor reflections

First off, you probably agree that publishing poorly edited copy (or copy that hasn’t been edited at all) reflects extremely badly on the organisation responsible. How many times have you seen a mistake in the newspaper, an ad, an annual report, a sales letter or on the back of a bus (“How’s my diving?”)?

Your expertise

Secondly, you probably also agree that your clients and customers should feel a) that they’re getting value for money and b) that you know exactly what you’re doing – otherwise you wouldn’t be writing stuff and you certainly wouldn’t be taking the time to check it. You’d be having a cappuccino instead.

Neuro Autocorrect

But the unfortunate reality is that your closeness to your writing tends to blind you to its flaws – and sometimes, to autocorrect it. The UK-based Society for Editors and Proofreaders explains the phenomenon: “You hold the whole text in your mind, and you’ve developed its ideas in sequence right to its conclusion. You can’t now put yourself in the reader’s place by somehow ‘unknowing’ any of this.”

The cold, fresh eye

In short, you know what you meant to write, so your eyes just fill in the gaps, miss the typos, etc. No matter how many times you check it, your brain interprets what it wants or expects to read, not what is actually there. So while you may have all of the skills to deal with the editorial functions, you lack the cold, fresh eye that a copy editor can bring to your work, and this is what leads to mistakes creeping in.

You’re too close

A copy editor is also sufficiently detached from the writing process to spot the mistakes and inconsistencies that distract the reader. After all, when we’re too close to things, we don’t see them clearly – which can be interesting in our personal lives but is hazardous for the editing process.

As an alternative

As an alternative, you may not have the relevant editorial skills. This isn’t a failure on your part – it’s not your job to be able to clarify meaning; eliminate unnecessary jargon; polish language by editing for grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation and other mechanics of style; or check for consistency of internal structure. But there are wonderful nerds out there who do this for a living, and do it well (which is useful in a world where it’s unwise to rely on spelling/grammar checkers originating from the illiterate USA.)

The solution?

Outsource. Copy editors work on all kinds of projects, from corporate profiles to CVs, newsletters to websites, textbooks to brochures. Whether you’re a large corporation, a small business, a government department, an NGO or an advertising agency, copy editors can help you enormously.

They can cut through the confusion to make your message clean, clear, correct, appealing and appropriate. They can help you to get it right the first time, and within budget. And above all, because your image is so important, they can help you to find the right tone and to choose the right words.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Speechwriters disagree on Obama’s inaugural address

2009-01-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

How did Obama fare in his first speech as president? Speechwriters weigh in—some not so favorably

By Michael Sebastian
michaels@ragan.com

In a highly anticipated inaugural address, President Barack Obama delivered his usual soaring and elegant rhetoric while recalling speeches and remarks from presidents Washington to Reagan.

Read the full text of President Obama's speech here.

But did he give a speech that professional communicators can admire and emulate? The reviews from speechwriters are mixed.

“President Obama’s inaugural address was a flop,” former Reagan administration speechwriter Hal Gordon tells Ragan.com. “I expected more than a pack of political clichés.”

Other former presidential scribes, like Ken Askew, who worked for Bush 41, thinks Obama delivered a tough and relatable message without saddling his audience with bad news.

“I would guess most Americans—not just blacks, not just Democrats, not just those who voted for Obama—felt he was speaking on their—his or her—behalf,” Askew said.

Here are the details, and a few lessons, from the 44th president’s inaugural address, according to professional speechwriters.

A rocky start gives way to rhetorical mastery

“Was Obama nervous? He flubbed the oath and the speech began slowly,” Brian Jenner, a freelance speechwriter in Great Britain remarks. “At first I was underwhelmed.”

(Turns out it was Chief Justice John Roberts who misspoke the oath.)

After shaking off the cobwebs in the first 150 words, Obama hit his rhetorical stride and quickly fulfilled expectations, Jenner says.

“I thought the speech was incredibly moving, but not because Obama did anything new,” says Bob Lehrman, former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. “It worked because he, and his writers, stuck with the things they’ve done for the last five years.”

While Mike Long, former speechwriter for Fred Thompson, takes issue with the content of the speech, he enjoyed Obama’s oration.

“He hit the marks, emphasized passages well, and fell into an entirely appropriate, preacherly cadence as he got to the end,” Long says.

Obama avoided obvious applause lines and stuck with the basics, like pace and flow.

“Given the author, I'm pretty sure that was deliberate,” says Askew. “Most of his soaring lines tended to be pretty long—not the sort of lines committed to memory, but majestic as you heard them.

“The result was a speech about the work ahead, firm without being condescending.”

John Watkis, a Toronto-based speechwriter, says the speech’s lack of sound bites strengthened Obama’s address.

“It’s clear that his goal was not to get people excited about his presidency, but rather to get them inspired to roll up their sleeves and work towards overcoming the challenges faced by the nation,” he explains.

Obama achieved this goal with direct, to-the-point language, Watkis adds.

Joan Hope, an Alaska-based former political communicator, disagrees. “There were too many vague promises and calls to unspecified action,” she says.

A nod to presidents past

Obama recalled speeches from at least three former presidents when he began describing the many challenges facing America.

Unlike President Carter, Obama delivered the country’s checklist of problems without wallowing in malaise, Askew says. In explaining how these problems are met, the president echoed the inaugural addresses of both Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, who said more government, and less government, respectively, will solve the nation’s ills.

“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works,” Obama said.

Askew calls this line in the speech “an overt but gracious … hearkening to FDR and Reagan, establishing a pragmatic link—and demarcation—among the three Presidents [FDR, Carter and Reagan] and their eras.”

Nearly every speechwriter agrees Obama’s reference to President Washington at the end of the address was among the speech’s finest moments. Obama said:

“At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: ‘Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].’ America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.”

Gordon celebrates this moment of the speech.

“I thought it was quite remarkable that one of our most eloquent recent presidents—Obama—should have been able to quote one of the least eloquent of America’s great presidents—George Washington—to achieve such a powerful effect,” Gordon says.

Weak content, some speechwriters said

Jenner thinks the Washington quote lifted Obama’s speech to a moving conclusion. Gordon believes it wasn’t enough. “It came too late to rescue the speech from banality—and, I expect, oblivion,” he says.

The speech’s problems, he continues, were its political clichés, such as, “We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America” and “as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself …”

“[Obama is] now in danger of becoming a caricature of himself—a populist windbag exhaling endless high-sounding generalities with few or no specifics to back them up,” Gordon cautions.

Lehrman disagrees. He thinks one of the speech’s strong suits was its concrete detail. “So many of the other inaugurals are abstract—profundity by platitude,” he says.

Either way, every speechwriter agreed that above all else the event—the swearing in of American’s first African-American president—will long outlast the speech.

Five ways the inaugural address worked

Bob Lehrman, former White House speechwriter, explains what he believes are the strong points from President Obama's inaugural address.

1. It was concrete. This speech gave us a “father who 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant,” or patriots “huddled by dying campfires,” or soldiers who “patrol far-off deserts.”

2. The language was memorable. Especially because of those characteristic litanies of antithesis, including, “we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

3. The speech included stories. Instead of simply quoting George Washington, Obama’s speech gives us a story, provides context and makes it moving.

4. It’s a literate speech. The language was precise. There’s even humor (“There are some who question the scale of our ambitions ... their memories are short.”)

5. The speech was inclusive. He makes so many people feel included: those out of work, a reader of “Scripture,” a “non-believer,” or just a Vietnam vet who want us to remember Khe Sanh. Obama reaches out to them—and that inspires confidence.

Click here to read the article as it originally appeared.

Check, check and double-check

2008-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

How do you ensure that you never look stupid in your haste to get messages out? Regardless of your personal beliefs about the world, humanity, religion or politics, the bottom line of all business communication is that God is in the details. In other words, if you're operating inside the corporate arena and you're writing stuff (no matter how short, informal or irregular) that other people read, perfect accuracy is part of your job.

“But who cares?” you ask. “People are too busy to notice the little things!” Not true, I'm afraid. When you commit a grammatical misdemeanor in an email, letter, memo, report, proposal or even a tiny text message, there's no going back. You've just gone on record as being either clueless or careless - and both are potentially damaging to you.

And here's the worst part. Your reader doesn't have to be an English teacher, a grammar boffin or a crossword puzzle-addicted troglodyte to spot your errors. Typos, spelling mistakes, inaccuracies and even lazy language usage have a way of dancing a little jig on the page or on the screen, and then grabbing the reader by the throat.

Bottom line? Even if you're in a mad rush to communicate your message, take whatever time there is available to check, check and double-check.

Now I don't expect you to read this advice and slavishly follow it. You've heard all of this stuff before, and it's easier said than done. But I do intend to equip you with a couple of tips so simple and easy to use - starting today, immediately - that you'll understand why people who write for a living, like me, just can't live without them. Here it goes:

1. Proof it cold

If you've just written something, it's floating around in your head and its edges begin to blur with time. So get a little distance. Get up from your chair (yes, actually rise), grab a coffee, chat to a colleague or visit the loo - and then come back and ‘proof it cold'.

2. The gift that is Google

If facts, figures, acronyms or names seem incomplete, don't add up or ‘sound funny', take a minute to check ‘em! Forget the dog; Google is the writer's best friend.

3. Spell-check is not always kind

Spell-check won't recognise a misused word that you spell correctly, e.g. “effect” where “affect” is appropriate. So always double-check your spell-check, which isn't clever enough to know if you mean “off” or “of”, “red” or “read”, or “organism” or “orgasm”.

4. Have a back-up plan

This is obvious, but critical: before cutting or re-writing anything, always make a copy of your original text. You'll need it if you chop too much or get entangled. I know this one seems a bit primary school, but I've chopped excessively in the past and it hurts.

5. Do what the dorks did

Whenever you scan your writing looking for errors, do what the dorks did when you were at school: use a ruler to help you to stay focused on individual sentences and words.

6. Read in reverse

Professional writers know that the brain can and does ‘auto-correct' its own mistakes, so that you don't see them the first few times you scan your text. This is why we often proof-read backwards, from bottom of page to top of page, to zone in on the details.

7. Use your ears

Okay, so you're not a professional writer. But you spend enough time listening to be considered a quasi-professional listener. So if you're confronted with a sentence that stumps you, read it out loud. Your ears (or other people's) will alert you to any errors.

8. And in the end...

Always double-check the last few paragraphs of a page or document. Your editorial brain knows it is approaching the last word and relaxes its vigilance with a drop in concentration - which is why most mistakes tend to sneak in towards the end.

To sum it all up

In a perfect world, you'd never have to edit your own work. But the world's not perfect. Life's not fair. Interest rates are up. Property prices are down. I won't go on. Either way, the decision is yours: spend a little time now, or spend a lot of time later trying to convince your boss to allow you to hold onto your job as a “pubic relations practitioner”.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Web copywriting a different beast to copywriting

2008-10-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Not everyone knows how to do it. Not everyone can do it well. And just because web copywriting and copywriting have one word in common, doesn't make them the same animal. In truth, they're two different beasts altogether.

The industry

Companies large and small are devoting more and more of their marketing budgets to online channels, especially in the current economic environment. They're also looking for results. This means that more companies are measuring their conversion rates and insisting that their webpages, emails and enewsletters be written to maximise sales.

The problem

The problem is that web copywriting and print copywriting are not the same thing. Nor is web copywriting simply about long, pitchy sales letters. What companies desperately need is copywriters who can produce informative, well-structured, optimised, search engine-friendly text; in other words, quality content that attracts more business.

However, very few freelance copywriters have been able to study the unique demands of the online environment - so there aren't that many of us out there. But this article intends to give you enough of an overview to this super skill, to handle at least the very basics yourself. And if you get stuck, contact me (webcopy@tiffanymarkman.co.za).

Basic web copywriting step #1

Write objectively

Surf the web for five minutes and you'll find fluff-filled sites everywhere. Headlines scream, “We're the best!” and “We're the world's largest!” You'll see lots of bolded type, exclamation marks and used-car salesman hype. You'll see tons of big promises and pages of impressive claims. But you won't see anything that will make you want to buy.

This is not good copywriting.

Good copywriting uses facts - not fluff. It doesn't hide the product under the weight of so many words that readers can't see the benefits. Fluffy copy reads horribly, sounds smarmy and people tend to distrust it. What's worse, it increases the reader's cognitive load. And as I always say, he or she has enough stuff to do and to think about.

The experts tell us that promotional language (what we call ‘marketese') places a burden on web users, who must use precious resources, like time and attention, to hack through the exaggeration to get to the facts. In other words, when users read this:

Potchefstroom is filled with internationally recognised tourist attractions!

…their first reaction is “No, it isn't”. This slows them down and distracts them from the rest of the site.

So focus on writing objective copy. It's okay to put ‘power words' in your headlines; research shows that a compelling headline leads to greater conversions. Yes, use benefit statements. If you are the “World's best something” go ahead and say it, if you can back it up. But stay away from fluff. Your readers will thank you.

Basic web copywriting step #2

Use reader copy, not ego copy

How many times have you received an email like this one?

“Thank you for (staying at our hotel, talking to our customer service rep, buying something from us.) We'd like to invite you to fill out a form so we can improve our customer service...”

And how often have you junked it as soon as it hit your inbox?

Chances are, your first thought was, “Why should I spend my time filling out your survey?” And really, why bother? Even if it takes just five minutes, that's five minutes you could spend working, answering email or watching Grey's Anatomy. In short, completing the survey won't benefit you one bit. So why bother?

Even as we laugh at the survey example, how often are we violating the “What's in it for me?” rule in our own writing?

If you think about it, you'll realise that we're often missing the benefit boat. We don't tell our readers what's in it for them. We don't mention how our service will exceed their expectations. We talk about ourselves, our company and our MD's kid's equestrian skills, and then we sit back and hope that our prospects will figure it out.

Think about documents you've created in the past. Do they typically contain more "we” and “our” statements (‘ego copy') than "you" and "your" statements (‘reader copy')? If they do, it's time to translate your ‘ego copy' into ‘reader copy'. Just take each line and turn it into a line that speaks to the reader's interest. For example:

Joe Bloggs & Associates has appointed me as your personal consultant, based on my experience over the last nine years. During this time, I travelled extensively throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and I obtained an in-depth knowledge of the corporate structures, logistics and admin involved in setting up a department like this one.

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You may be interested to know that I have nine years' experience in setting up departments like this one, which is why Joe Bloggs & Associates has appointed me as your personal consultant. You'll have the peace of mind that comes with dealing with a person who has an in-depth knowledge of the relevant structures, logistics and admin. experience over the last nine years. During this time,

Basic web copywriting step #3

Tell the reader what you do

One of my biggest irritations when I visit a website for the first time is not being able to figure out what the company does by reading the home page. Some sites are filled with very well-written mission statements, very crafty prose enticing you to buy their product and/or service, bells, whistles and even great graphic design…

But after all that, I still have to ask: “What is it that you do?”

Imagine that someone has arrived at your website and has no idea what you're talking about. Pretend further that this single visitor could make the difference between success and failure for your business. She has no time to waste poking around the site to work out what you're about, so she picks up the phone and demands an explanation.

What do you tell her?

You'd probably explain by giving her the essential information about how the company can help her, and why it perfectly meets her needs, right? And I bet you'd want to explain it in the most compelling way possible, given what's riding on the deal. In a nutshell, that's what Google wants you to do with the content you write for your website.

The bottom line

The sad truth is that most websites need better content, because the general quality of the web copy out there is dismal. But more importantly, your web copy represents you, your product or service and your company, so you simply can't allow it to be poor, mediocre or even just acceptable.

Start by using the three steps above to transform your ideas into objective, reader-focused, informative web content. Spend as much time and energy on it as you can spare - and if you get tangled up, or you need to take things up a notch, email me on webcopy@tiffanymarkman.co.za.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Web copywriting: setting the record straight

2008-10-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, web copywriting is a contentious issue - peppered with strongly differing views and hotly defended opinions. At this kitchen of contention, it can be hard to distinguish between the myths and the truths. Also, Google regularly changes the rules. So here are a couple of the latest prevailing myths about web or online copywriting…

Myth 1:

Web copywriting and SEO copywriting are the same thing.

Busted:

SEO copywriting, or to give it its full name, ‘search engine optimisation copywriting', is the technique of writing the text on a webpage in such a way that it a) reads well for the web user and, b) targets specific search terms.

Its purpose is to rank highly in the search engines for the targeted search terms.

The idea behind SEO copywriting is that search engines want genuine content pages and not additional pages (often called ‘doorway pages') that are created for the sole purpose of achieving high rankings.

Practitioners of the search engine copywriting method recommend around 250 viewable words per page, with one, or at most two, targeted search terms strategically placed within the text and other on-page elements.

Web copywriting, though, is more about conciseness, coherence, style and power than it is about strategy and the placement of search terms. In web copywriting, every paragraph, subhead, sentence and word must have its role and purpose.

It's about detail, about sequence, about pace and flow. And when you do it right, the 'construction' becomes invisible and you have a great piece of web copywriting that compels the reader to do what you want them to do.

In short, web copywriting may include SEO copywriting - but the two are not the same thing. Indeed, the practitioners of each are often not the same people.

Myth 2:

Text is text, so it's fine to use existing print copy on the web.

Busted:

Text isn't text, simply because the experience of print and web readers is so different.

On the one hand, print writers don't need to concern themselves with the reader's reading experience. Even after the document becomes galleys and pages, it looks a lot like it did initially: horizontal lines of type. And it looks much the same for everyone.

On the other hand, different web users have different computers, browsers, settings and line speeds. This means that each user experiences a unique and different web reading. With graphics. Without graphics. With sound. Without. In one second. In 100 seconds.

In print, text is everything. Pages are mainly composed of text and the writer's challenge is creating a narrative that holds the reader's interest. On the web, text is not everything. Images and other elements, such as audio, video, links, time and money, can play a role.

Finally, print readers usually read most of the text, if not every word, from front to back. But web users don't: they speed-read or ‘scan'. This is because reading off a computer screen can be uncomfortable and scrolling endlessly downwards can be frustrating.

Bottom line?

Developing website copy usually means writing new materials - and if you want your readers to spend less precious time reading, you must spend more precious time writing.

Myth 3:

Web copywriting requires ‘keyword stuffing' to work well.

Busted:

Have a quick look at this:

“This website provides free cooking tips, so be sure to check out this free cooking tips website if you are interested in free cooking tips.”

Anyone who is loosely familiar with SEO will tell you that an article with this kind of ‘introduction' has been (desperately) optimised for the search term “free cooking tips.” But is this writing approach one that actually works? Nope.

Once readers realise that a website doesn't provide quality content but relies on useless keyword-filled articles, they won't stick around. As a result, only a handful of the site's initial readers will continue to follow the website, if that many.

Let's also look at things from the viewpoint of a visitor who finds a keyword-stuffed website through a search engine. Yes, that person drops by, but once he sees that the content is over-optimised junk, he leaves and never returns.

However, and this is a biggie, there's no reason to assume that SEO copywriting and good web copywriting should be mutually exclusive. The answer is to generate copy that helps to improve search engine rankings while still ensuring that those all-powerful human visitors are compelled to stick around.

Yes, search engine positioning is important. But what's also important is creating compelling, high-value text that resonates with the target market - because the search engines don't pay the bills nearly as well as the human customers do.

Now what?

So these three myths have been busted - but now what?

It's clear that what's needed is specially written, smooth-moving, subtly optimised web copy that speaks to the reader's tendency to scan. And one of the best ways to create this elusive copy is by producing what we call ‘flagship content', based on a relevant, compelling and useful cornerstone around which all of the copy can be built.

A cornerstone is something that is basic, essential, indispensable; it's what people need to know in order to make use of a website and do business with a particular company. And flagship content with a clear and powerful cornerstone requires:

Keyword phrases

Choose the most appropriate keyword phrase. Ask yourself, ‘What is the relevant question asked by searchers, that my content and the business will answer?' For example, a divorce lawyer in Sandton, Johannesburg will benefit very little from ranking highly for the word “lawyer” (and good luck to him!), but a specific keyword phrase based on geography and specialty will draw the right traffic (“Sandton divorce lawyer”).
Synonyms

Good web copy should include words that are related to, as well as synonyms for, the keyword phrases that best represent you or your organisation. Rather than endlessly repeating the same words (and scaring your readers away), assume that different web users will use different, contextually-related words to find what they're looking for. If we go back to the lawyer example, you could weave phrases such as ‘Northern suburbs', ‘Johannesburg', ‘attorney', ‘advocate', and ‘ante-nuptial contract' into your content.
Specificity

One of the characteristics of flagship web copy is the use of specific, descriptive words instead of vague generalities: ‘Has your marriage dissolved due to infidelity or an extra-marital affair?' rather than ‘Having third-party problems?' Specificity helps readers because it clearly demonstrates relevancy and makes the copy more dynamic. But be sure to use your specific keywords only when feasible within the broader context of the copy, otherwise you'll be faced with the hideous keyword stuffing dilemma.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

The final countdown to becoming a killer freelancer

2008-10-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay - it's finally here... Part III in my series on ‘How to become a killer freelancer'. This is the scary bit: the business planning gargoyle that looms over your head; the tax gremlins that keep you awake at night; the BEE hobbits at the bottom of the garden; the time-keeping jungle. So allow me to turn on some lights for you, and let's banish the beasties.

1. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Correct me if I'm wrong: you entered the creative industry (writing, design, illustration, photography, etc.) because numbers weren't really your thing. Because you didn't want to be a bookkeeper or a tax accountant or an administrator. Because ideas excite you. Well, guess what? As a freelancer, numbers, books, tax and admin are the realities of your world.

Yes, your day job is the sexy stuff... but after hours, or at night, or over weekends, you're a part-time bean-counter - and the more organised you become (or pay others to be, on your behalf), the more professional your offering and the greater your ultimate success.

So let's look at some of the must-haves, for those of you who are starting out or those who've been doing this a while and would like to jack things up.

2. The business plan gargoyle

The beautiful part of a business plan is that it's never too late to write one. If you're a newbie, do it now. It's a valuable tool in defining:

who your market is (How much do they earn? Where do they live?),
how you'll sell yourself and your service,
what exactly your service is (this is a biggie),
where you'll be located (think about storage and competition),
potential growth areas,
your business structure,
the overheads (resources, equipment, materials, etc.) you're in for,
what your starting rates should be,
what the competition's doing, and
what your policies and procedures will be.

Next step? Consolidate the info you've gathered and sit down to write the bleeding thing. Keep it clear and concise. Present it logically, powerfully and enthusiastically. And divide it into three core areas: the personal profile, the business profile and the financial package (the latter especially if you're going to apply for finance).

3. Sole prop vs CC: my bias

First let me say that, as far as I know, the CC is on its way out. Be that as it may, if you're starting out, a sole prop is infinitely preferable.

It's easier (and less terrifying, for us right-brainers) to initiate and run; it's cheaper (no auditors, financial statements, company tax); and there are no formal procedures (beyond tax obligations, which I'll get to shortly). But you should know that sole proprietors don't have limited liability. In other words, your assets are indistinct from the business and they can be attached if the business goes bang.

In a close corporation or CC, you benefit from owning a legal identity that is distinct from its members and that allows its members limited liability, provided that sureties have been signed. My advice? Chat to an accountant or consultant who has an in-depth understanding of the freelance arena, and make an informed decision based on your abilities, potential liabilities, tax implications, etc.

4. Tackling the tax gremlin

Your tax obligation will depend on the form of business you select. But for the purposes of my (100% non-FICA compliant and non-expert, but 100% well-intended) advice, let's say you're a sole prop. You'll have to register as a provisional tax-payer who pays a combination of personal and professional income to the taxman twice a year, in February and in August. It's simple, really.

Get a ‘freelance-friendly accountant' and ask for your allowable deductions (you'll also find a basic - again, non-expert - list on my blog: http://tiffanymarkmantraining.blogspot.com). Get into the habit of keeping slips for everything, even parking, and sort 'em once a month, or you'll drown.
Put a sum (work on what you'd pay if you earned a salary) into your bond or a savings pocket each month, so that when your accountant calls and asks for your first provisional whack of cash, you don't want to cry.
And remember: if you're paying what feels like a ton of tax, it's a sign that you're making money. Just divide it by the number of months in the year, and you'll feel better. Because of your income-earning-related expenses, you will land up paying less than a salaried person. Promise.

5. Befriending the BEE hobbit

Heard horror stories about pale one-person-shows who can't crack it in the contemporary corporate world, because tenders, pitches and briefs don't go to people without BEE scorecards? Guess what? It's your lucky day.

Empowerdex (or any financial officer) can help to certify you as an Exempted Micro Enterprise. As an EME with an annual turnover of R5 million or less (yeah, like freelancers could earn more than that), you can have your empowered status confirmed with a nifty ‘Level Four Contributor' certificate, for the sum of only R500-odd for a six-month certification and R1000-odd for a year's. Yee-ha!

6. The itchy Ts & Cs

I'm always surprised at how many freelancers successfully run their businesses without formal policies in place - until I hear sad tales about this client who took 80 hours of work and refused to pay for it, or that client who asked for changes and changes and changes, and then killed the job, without coughing up a cent.

But allow me my disclaimer, nonetheless:

If you have a body of regular clients you've built relationships with, and you'd feel ‘funny' subjecting them to a contract, a signed CE or even a half page of terms and conditions, don't read on. However, if you're new to the biz, tired of being cheated ('cos, yes, there are cheats out there) or keen on another, more hardcore way of approaching things, this is for you...

Based on Ts and Cs you've seen elsewhere (first consultation free, COD, 30 days, discounts for immediate payment, interest charges on late payment, 50% deposits, usage clauses, copyright clauses, etc.), decide on your terms and be firm about them. Be warned: a new client who is antsy about committing to a CE, or who quibbles endlessly over basic Ts and Cs, will be antsy when it comes to paying your bill. I've insisted on deposits for amounts as small as R500 - it's a matter of policy.

Tip: a reasonably good resource is Free Legal Docs.

Remember, also, that it is possible to have different terms for different types of clients. When ad agencies out-source work to me, I only get paid by them once they've been paid by client - and agencies' terms can be 30 or 60 days. My international clients take forever to pay, which I anticipate. And my regulars need only commit in an email; no deposit or signed CE required. Discuss this with your clients in advance, so you're both clear on where you stand.

7. The time-keeping jungle

As I've explained in previous articles, your quoting options could be per item, per hour or per job. But however you decide to do it, keep good records of the time you spend on each job. There's more to this than making a note of the hours you spend actually working, so break it down like this: Time spent on administration + time spent on research + time spent on creative. Do this for each and every job.

Under administration, you add the time spent on phone calls and emails, as well as the time spent setting up the project, timekeeping and invoicing. Under research, you estimate the time it'll take you to understand the project (client, industry, brief, deliverables) before you get going. Under creative, you estimate actual work time, and add a few extra hours in anticipation of revisions (I offer these for free).

When you take timekeeping seriously, you'll be in a much better position to estimate jobs accurately. There are several key benefits here:

More accurate estimates for new jobs, whether you bill per hour or per job.
Less chance of underestimating future jobs and losing money on time spent.
Satisfied clients who'll appreciate that there's certainty in your estimates.

8. Knowing your value

A lady had a blocked pipe and called a plumber. He arrived, she pointed to the pipe, and he kicked it. The water started running immediately. He said, “That'll be R350”, to which she replied, “How can you charge me R350 for fixing this pipe? All you did was kick it!” And the plumber answered, “I'm not charging you R350 for kicking it; I'm charging you R350 for knowing where to kick it.” Moral of the story: know your value.

There remains a lot to say. So look out for future pieces on: negotiating usage, sourcing international clients, marketing and networking, freelance-supportive technology, contracts, VAT and more. And in the interim? Be a killer freelancer.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

More on becoming a killer freelancer

2008-10-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a) already freelancing and looking for a more substantial knowledge base to back you up, b) entirely new to freelancing and wanting to get going or c) still thinking about beginning a freelance career, here's the second in my three-part series.

1. Finding your niche

As you probably know, successful freelancers are experts in a particular area. One graphic designer might be a specialist in corporate ID, or in web design. Another might work across several media, but specialise in visual genius for the healthcare industry.

One way or another, if you want to succeed, you must establish yourself as an expert in what you do. You need your name to jump to mind when a particular job or challenge arises. "Direct mail for the events industry? You should get in touch with Daniel. That's what he does." (Insert your own name and area of specialisation where appropriate.)

You can't get that kind of referral if you're someone who handles just about anything in any medium. Nobody is going to believe you're an expert in everything (it's that ‘jack-of-all-trades' problem). So how do you determine a viable 'niche'? You have three choices:

Industry niche

Spend time working in, and getting to know, a particular industry. For years, I worked with clients in the travel industry. Most of my clients were travel and tour operators. I wrote direct mail, ads, brochures, web copy and scripts. I wrote anything, as long as it was about travel. That was my niche. And people knew I was knowledgeable in that area, so they came to me: “Hey, Tiffany, apparently you're the person to talk to...”

Channel niche

Make a particular channel or medium your specialty. After years of writing for the travel industry (very colourful, descriptive writing), I decided to specialise as a web copywriter. I wrote web copy, e-newsletters and mailers - things that would be read on-screen (very clean, clear, straightforward writing). I was a web copy specialist. And I wrote for a whole lot of different industries: travel, financial services, retail, HR, FMCGs and NGOs.

Multi-Niche

When you multi-niche, you design a specialty out of serving a single industry through a particular medium. For instance, writing web copy for the travel industry. And only writing web copy for the travel industry. Granted, there'll be less work out there, but a) you can charge more if you're one of only a few suppliers who do it and b) you'll get a lot of it. It'll also be easier to explain what you do (which can be interesting when you start out).

2. Building your brand

Too many freelancers believe that creating a brand starts and ends with the creation of a pretty logo and a glossy business card. Not true. The final expression of your brand, in words and images, comes right at the end of the process of brand creation.

Why? Because as a freelancer, your brand is you.

You can't create your business without putting yourself out there - it's your skills people will be paying for. So you must create your brand by finding the best ways to express your vision, goals and strengths. There are four elements to consider when tackling this:

What are your strengths?

You need to build your brand around your strengths. When people hear or read your name, you want them to associate your name with what you do best.

There is an issue of clarity here, too. You need to be specific about where your core strengths lie. You don't want people reading your name and thinking, "Yes, I've heard the name. A good photographer, apparently. But I really don't know what she's good at."

So take some time to identify what you're best at. And if there are a few areas in which you shine, keep that list in mind and see which tie in best with the next three elements.

What are your goals?

It is possible to find yourself a prisoner of your own brand.

We see this with actors. An actor may become known for his roles in action movies. Being an action hero becomes an important part of his brand. But what happens if he wants to act in a serious drama? He may have the talent, but he will come up against barriers to those kinds of roles - because he's is branded as an action hero.

The same things can happen with your freelance career. So make sure the brand positioning you choose fits your own career goals. If you don't, you may find yourself the prisoner of a brand that isn't going to take you where you want to go.

Stay in touch with your passions

When I started out, one of my first (and subsequently biggest) clients took me on not because I had any experience in doing what he wanted, but because I was excited about giving it a shot - and he could tell how much I loved my job. Yup, passion is contagious. Prospective clients will love to hear you speaking with genuine enthusiasm about your work. It makes a big difference. So make sure you pick a strength that is also a passion.

Fit your brand with your personality

What kind of person are you? Are you an extrovert? Are you outgoing and noisy? Are you a peoples' person? Or are you more of a quiet, behind-the-scenes type of person? Whatever your personality, build a brand that fits. Because if you're shy and have a fear of public speaking, it's no good to build a brand that will imply that you're confident and happy to speak at large business meetings, conferences or other public events.

Also, make sure that the brand you create fits in with your morals and values. Don't try to build a career in an area you feel uneasy about. Here's an example: I was once asked to write soft porn for a local mag. The money was unbelievable, but I couldn't bring myself to accept the brief. I felt weird about it. So I said ‘No' - you're allowed to say ‘No', you know.

3. Getting that first client

The biggest question I get from those who are just starting out, or thinking about it, is, "How do I get my first client?" And that fear can be greater than the challenge itself.

There are a couple of ways to get that first client. One is to do a job ‘on spec'. That is, to take a job without being paid a fee. Only if the client likes and uses the work, do you get paid for it. You get the experience and he avoids the risk inherent in using a ‘newbie'. This may sound like a strange thing to do, but working on spec has two benefits:

You get valuable experience working for a real client.
You get some work to add to your freelance portfolio.

That second point is key. Add a few spec jobs to your portfolio and suddenly you have something to show when you're pitching for a paid client. As with many aspects of building your business, there are good and bad ways to go about working on spec.

But I must issue a disclaimer: once you're up and running, with a nice client base and regular work, no more spec! There are plenty clients out there who like to use brilliant work without paying for it, and if you have a good business, that won't work for you.

4. Maintaining your marketing

I've been on my own as a freelancer for four years and in the industry for nine, and in that time, I don't think I've a single quiet month. (Except possibly for the two weeks between Christmas and early Jan.) Be that as it may, I'm always marketing.

Whether you're new to the biz or an old hand, keep looking for new clients - even when you have as much work as you can handle. Here's why: Things can change. One day it looks like you have all the work you can tolerate and the next day, a job disappears.

Bottom line: no job (and no client) is ever guaranteed. There are always reasons why you can lose a job. And sometimes quite suddenly. Through no fault of your own.

So protect yourself by working on new relationships all the time. You should be upfront if you can't do any work right away. But you can keep talking and building the relationship, and when you have some time free, you have a hot lead you can contact straight away.

5. Extra tip: Dealing with ‘cheapie versions' of you

Do you really want to compete with someone in India who charges just R10 to write a 1000-word article? Do you really want to pitch for a design job with 250 other people, when the budget is sinful? Do you really want to lower and lower and lower your rates?

If you're just starting out, I'm afraid to say, “Yes, you do.” You really want to do everything you can to get the experience, even if it means losing out on the zeroes.

But once you're a little more established, remember this: when you try to compete on price, you are jumping into a bottomless pit. Your earnings will decline, you'll work harder and harder and you'll feel terrible about yourself and your business.

So never compete with others on price. Set your rates according to the quality and value of what you do and your clients will respect you more for knowing your own worth.

Next time: ‘business planning', ‘navigating the admin jungle', ‘the benefits of accurate time-keeping' and ‘the art and science of a contract'.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Recession? Do more marketing!

2008-08-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

During a recession, like the one South Africa’s looking at right now, scared businesses tend to cut back on marketing expenses. ‘After all,’ they say, ‘most customers are becoming more cautious about spending, so let’s conserve our resources, wait out the downturn and have funds to spend when the economy picks up.’ Not true, I’m afraid.

Spend only 1 minute reading the info below and find out what to do instead.

The opposite action is the right one. Smart businesses should expand during a recession, because there will be a shakeout caused by the scared businesses shrinking. During any recession, there are always more than enough clients out there to keep you busy if you continue to market, and market smartly. So capitalise on your strengths, make sure that everyone knows what they are and make the most of your relationships.

Where do I start?

Over the years, hundreds of studies have been conducted to prove that you should maintain your advertising during an economic downturn. The key is to do more with less. Rigorously question your marketing strategy. What is it intended to achieve? How will it encourage brand loyalty? What barrier to purchase does it address? Will it make the brand seem worth paying more for? Or will it create the impression that this is a cheap brand? Because the stakes are higher when money is tight, it's important that you feel confident your investment will provide a good return.

Your focus

Research also suggests that your focus shouldn't be aspirational, optimistic or light-hearted. Rather offer reassurance, emphasise value and empower consumers with information. Now is the time for long copy ads, advertorials and directing your target market to your website – provided that it is rich with info. During a recession, distill your message into essential copy points that best convey your offering.

Build your case

The bottom line? Protect your brand by building a powerful case for its uniqueness. Focus on distinctive attributes, unique enough to keep your customers loyal when budgets are tight. A strong strategy will not only carry you through tough times; it will also strengthen your market position when the shackles of recession are removed. Also, this is an excellent time to refresh your online keyword marketing, because words like ‘quality’, ‘value’, ‘reliability’ and ‘best price’ will become prevalent in online searches.

Above all, stay positive, don’t panic and turn the tide in your favour. If you behave like the scared businesses, or target them, you will contract – but if you market to the smart businesses during a recession, you will continue to prosper. It's up to you.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

How to become a killer freelancer

2008-08-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a) already freelancing and looking for a more substantial knowledge base to back you up, b) entirely new to freelancing and wanting to get going or c) still thinking about beginning a freelance career, here, in the first of a three part series, is something for nothing. Enjoy.

1. Just so we're on the same page

Freelancing defined

As you know, a freelancer is a person who is self-employed. And in any given profession, freelancers sell or contract their work to clients. They're often paid by the hour - although jobs with a fixed rate to complete a fixed project are both possible and common, depending on the freelancer's field of expertise.

"A freelancer gets paid per word, per piece or perhaps." - Robert Benchley

Why freelance?

Being a freelancer can be scarily different to being employed. It's not for everyone. What's in it for you? Some of the most common benefits are:

Being your own boss: this is great for those who like their own autonomy.
More money: freelancers are usually paid more than salaried employees.
Freedom: freelancers can, to varying degrees, choose when and where to work.
Variety: by moving from company to company and contract to contract, freelancers can develop varied experience and impressive CVs.
Less tax: freelancers who take good advice can cut down on their tax.

Why not freelance?

Of course, if freelancing were such an easy way to earn a living, everyone would do it - which would defeat the purpose altogether. So what are some of the pitfalls?

Less security: freelancers are not protected in the same ways as employees.
Uncertainty: there are no guarantees of new work, money or benefits.
Hassle: because you're running your own business, there are forms to complete, rules to obey and accounts to keep.
Being on your own: as well as the possibility of being lonely, being your own boss means, for example, that nobody pays you when you take a holiday or you're sick.
Longer hours: time is money, so if you're a clock-watcher, do something else.

“In the freelance world, you start every day at zero.” - Martha Stewart

Useful qualities

Successful freelancing means being able to say ‘Yes' quickly - and ‘No' when necessary. Time management skills are important and organisational flair is vital. What's more, you need to have a finger in accounting, advertising, promotion, organisation, time management, strategic planning, operations and - oh, yes - the work itself. But fret not. All this sounds hideous at the start but becomes second nature with time, practice, a good few serious stuff-ups, and good advice from other freelancers.

What's in it for the client?

Why would a client choose you over some sorry soul who's already in the building and already costing money? Well, there are several reasons (this is valuable info for those times you'll have to convince a client to use you...)

Freelancers are usually more flexible than permanent staff, in terms of hours.
Freelancers are easier to hire and fire - and are not a long-term commitment.
There's no need to worry about PAYE, SITE or other tax complications.
Companies save money: no sick pay, holiday pay or maternity leave.
Freelancers offer access to diverse skills that the in-house team may not have.
Freelancers complete small or ad hoc tasks that don't require a full-time employee.
Freelance work may help companies to satisfy BEE or equity requirements.

2. How to get started

Place a value on your time

There are lots of ways to charge for freelance jobs. If you're working as a copywriter and writing a brochure, a sales letter, a webpage or anything else, you'll usually end up billing by the job or by the hour.

If you bill by the job, it's because you'll have negotiated a fixed fee before you started. For instance, you might have agreed on R350 to rewrite a webpage. In that situation, you're paid the same amount, whether the job takes you three hours or three weeks.

Clients often prefer a fixed cost estimate (CE) like this, because there's certainty about the total of the final invoice. But for a freelancer, especially a new one, estimating a fixed fee in advance can be unnerving.

Unless you know your client very well, and you know accurately how much time various types of jobs will take you, you can end up wasting time (and losing money) if the job takes longer than you'd anticipated.

So try to gauge how many hours you'll need, and then add a few extra hours for unforeseen changes. Multiply the number of hours by your hourly rate. At this point you may look at the figure and think it's a little too high or low… and change it accordingly.

But at the outset, when estimating any job, start with how long the job will take.

Create a basic rate card

Include pricing information, what you guarantee (if anything), turnaround time, payment terms and your general procedure. Granted, you may not have a general procedure just yet, but you will soon and clients need to know how you're going to work with them.

Here's an example of a useful note to include:

Please note that all quotations include one set of reasonable changes by client (vocab tweaks or factual revisions), in anticipation of the final sign-off of the briefed job.

Gather work samples

Not a single freelance job to your name? No problem. Take a look at a print ad in your favourite magazine. If you're looking for copywriting work, rewrite the ad. If you're looking for graphic design work, recreate it with different graphics. This will show a prospective client that you have a creative mind. Be upfront about it, though.

Remember: plenty of people have made it in this business with nothing but sample ads in their portfolio, prior to their first project.

Give stuff away (really)

Offer your services to friends and family, for free to begin with, in return for feedback in the form of written testimonials about your work, service, attitude, etc. This way, you get experience, a basic portfolio and something to show prospective clients when you begin things formally - and your friends and family get something for nothing.

Later, go beyond hourly billing

All too often, freelancers simply set a range of fees for their work and then estimate and invoice accordingly. And if you're new to freelancing, your hourly rate probably reflects the fact that you don't have a great deal of experience yet. But there's a limitation here.

When you estimate jobs according to an hourly rate or typical project fee, you will usually find yourself ignoring a whole different element - and that is the value of your work and expertise.

When you estimate and bill according to your value, you can start making a great deal more money than you did before. But you do need to know where your core value lies: at the intersection of your greatest area of expertise and a high-value demand.

Next time: ‘finding your niche', ‘building your brand' and ‘getting that first client'.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Poking internal comms with a stick

2008-05-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

If you talk to your company’s employees, this is for you.

According to the experts, there’s never been a better time to be in internal communication. But that’s a little surprising in light of some recent research.

Communication? What for?

The research shows that communication over the last 20 years hasn’t improved employee satisfaction by even 1%. That’s a lot of money – billions of Rands – spent to achieve 0% impact (Source: Towers Perrin & Tom Lee).

In addition, 50% of employees don’t know what strategy they’re supposed to be following – and that’s not the 50% at the top of the organisation; it’s the 50% at the bottom. The people who deal with clients and customers.

This is the case because what people want from their company’s internal communication is constantly changing and their standards are constantly rising.

In the past, they wanted newsletters. So you gave them newsletters. Then they wanted blogs. So they got blogs. Now they don’t have time to read newsletters or blogs – they want Facebook. Fireside chats. Podcasts. Text messages.

Passion plus clarity = action

To engage employees, it’s important to match their passion and willingness to help with clarity about the direction they’re moving in – because it doesn’t help if people say, ‘I don’t know what we’re doing, but I know I’m helping to get us there…’

Ensure that you know what your people need to do for you (the end), and then let them know what you need them to do for you. After all, clarity is a big motivator.

Communication should be the means to an end – not the end itself. So start at the end; in other words, what you want to achieve, and use communication to get there. Don’t do what Bill Quirke, UK-based internal comms guru, calls ‘confusing people expensively’.

The level of audience interest

Another big motivator is relevance. If you’re able to match the importance of the info to employees, with its importance to the business, then they start listening. Think about a short update on what’s happening with your company’s pension funds – everyone will read it because it’s important to them. But they don’t care about your MD’s MBA…

So always ask yourself: what’s the level of audience interest going to be?

Specifics and chats win the day!

More than anything else, be specific. People a) don’t like and b) don’t understand abstraction.

Let’s look at a) first. The moment you start sounding posh, they stop listening. Why is that? Because, psychologically, people are happy to chat, but they don’t really want to communicate. Communication feels like hard work.

It’s unsurprising then that, at the moment, formal media like (newsletters) have a mere 7% impact on employee behaviour, while chats with leaders over the coffee pot have a massive 61% impact on employee behaviour (Source: Towers Perrin & Tom Lee).

It’s also unsurprising that your employees are judging all of your communication by asking themselves, “How long is this going to take me to read?’ And remember, ‘How long is this going to take?’ is code for: ‘How much of my time are you going to waste?’

Now let’s look at b): people don’t understand you when you’re abstract.

This is why, when MacDonalds changed its internal communication approach, it stopped telling its staff to “Generate more volumes at the customer interface” and started telling them to ask customers, “Would you like a drink with that?”

They moved from the general to the specific; from the abstract to the concrete.

So if you want your frontline staff to answer the telephone in three rings, don’t tell them to “Be more pro-active at the telephonic coalface”; tell them to “Answer the telephone in three rings” and give them a reason!

Because customers will spend more money with a company that wants to talk to them.

Getting to the point

This brings us to the issue of getting to the point. It’s time for you to think of time, not paper. The average corporate individual receives 178 messages a day and corporate communication grows by 2% a month. That’s a lot of paper.

So even if you think you need a 55-page newsletter to explain something to your employees, just because it’s complicated, think of the news-readers who unpack the situation in the Middle East, which is really complicated. They take only two minutes.

Write to be said, not to be read. If people need additional info or context, they’ll go and look for it. That’s what Google, your intranet or your website are for.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

Do you know who you’re talking to?

2008-04-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Experts estimate that up to 50% of your time at work is spent on written communication, even if that’s not strictly your job. So it’s absolutely vital to develop your writing skills – not only because of the time involved, but also because your success may depend on it.

One of these skills is reader analysis or, more specifically, knowing who you’re talking to so you can a) give them what they need, b) them to do what you want them to, and c) let them get on with their lives. After all, they’re busy and important, aren’t they?

Step 1: Define your readers

Your readers will evaluate your writing according to how well it answers these questions:

1. How usable is the information?
2. How relevant and timely is it?
3. How long will it take me to read?

So when putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard, stop for a moment and ask yourself:

1. Who will be the primary readers of this document?
2. Who will be the secondary readers?
3. And, will there be any other readers?

The key is to focus on the primary readers, with slight attention to the secondary readers. Obviously, there’s almost no way of knowing who else may stumble across your document. Here are some things to think about when defining your audience:

· Can I describe my readers?
· What is their position in the family, in the company or in general?
· What is their background?
· How much do they already know about this particular topic?
· What are their information needs?
· Can I guess what their feelings toward my document will be?

Once you have a basic picture of your readers, it’s time to understand how they operate.

Step 2: Understand how readers read

Your readers seldom read your offerings word by word. They scan, choosing individual keywords, sentences and paragraphs of interest, and skimming over the rest. Morkes and Nielsen claim that only 16% of readers read every word on a new page; 79% scan.

Why scan?

1. First, it can be uncomfortable for the eyes to read reams of text. Think about it.
2. Second, the reading experience fosters a certain amount of impatience.
3. Third, most readers are ‘busy and important’ – they want to get to the facts.

Keeping this in mind, there’s a critical writing tip for all business communicators:

Put the conclusion first!

The Inverted Pyramid is the style of writing developed by newspapers – another medium where readers use scanning. Using this style, journalists put the most important bits of the story at the beginning, so the first sentence conveys the most important ideas:

"After a long debate, Parliament voted to increase taxes by 10 percent.”

In other words, journalists start the article with the conclusion, followed by the most important supporting information and then the background. There are two reasons for using the same method in your writing:

1. Newspaper readers may not read the whole story, but we know that 79% of your readers don’t read the whole story, so we want them to get the most important information first.

2. Stories in print need to fit into a given space and they're cut from the bottom, where the waffle is. Similarly, long documents are a death-trap, so it's a good idea to put the most important information first.

Whatever your background is, it’s fairly easy to grasp news writing if you imagine how a friend would tell you about a shooting he or she has just witnessed. Would your friend say this…?

“I’d just come from Woolworths, where I’d bought fruit, wine and some really nice French bread. I was walking towards my car. Suddenly, a car drove by. Somebody got out and pointed a gun…”

Highly unlikely. Anxious to share the news, your friend would probably get right to the point: “A man was just shot in the back outside Woolworths!”

When someone is waving a loaded gun, even a non-journalist instinctively knows how to construct the lead. In your friend’s report are responses to the six questions that news reports are traditionally expected to answer: who, what, when, where, why and how.

Bottom line? Your job may not involve actual news writing, but you should still follow the ‘six question’ process when analysing information and deciding how to proceed.

And in short, before applying your mind (or your fingers) to a piece of communication, be sure that you: have identified your readers, are able to write from the readers’ collective point of view, know why you’re writing and have started with the best bit: the end bit.

www.tiffanymarkman.co.za

6 easy ways to write with power for e-mails and the web

2008-03-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Unlike other types of communication, web copy often asks the reader to take a specific action: buy something, sign up for something, pick up the phone and call – and to do it now rather than later. It’s different to the ads in magazines and on TV, because its purpose is not to create a branding image, but to get a response.

To reiterate, the job of web writing is not to be cute, clever or creative. As legendary copywriter, David Ogilvy, said: "I don’t regard advertising as entertainment or an art form. I don't want you to tell me that you find it creative. I want you to find it so interesting that you'll buy the product!"

That’s why, with all electronic writing, every paragraph, sub-head, sentence and word must have its role and purpose. It's about detail, about sequence, about pace and flow. And when you do it right, the 'construction' becomes invisible and you have a great piece of writing that compels the reader to do what you want them to do.

Here’s how to do it right:

Make it easy for the reader

The surfing experience, with a million other websites competing for readers’ attention, makes every pitch an all-or-nothing gamble. Web users can often get what they want from a website other than yours, but if you can show them what they’re looking for in three clicks (15 seconds, max), you’ve got a good site.

Avoid shovel-ware

Hypertext links and other clever cyber-inventions mean that there are no space constraints on the web, so organisations have fallen into the habit of shovelling every little bit of copy they have onto their websites.

That’s why lot of contemporary web copy is referred to as ‘shovel-ware’: electronic products that are paper products converted to electronic form. Shovel-ware makes sites seem more substantial and informative but it’s inherently illogical, because the busy web user has limited time and limited patience.

In addition, if you simply move your print documents onto webpages, you’re not using the medium to its best advantage. For this reason, developing e-mail or website copy usually means writing new materials.

Write positively

Use positive, definite and specific wording instead of negative, indefinite or vague wording. Say: “Our projects always run smoothly.” not “Our projects seldom take long.” Say: “We believe in value for money.” not “We don’t believe in high prices.”

Why do this? Because readers respond better to positive ideas than negative ones, while words like ‘do not’, ‘seldom’, ‘rarely’ or ‘stop’ can cause unfavourable reactions. Also beware of: ‘unfortunately, unable, cannot, mistake, problem, error, loss, failure’.

And if you have to present negative information, reduce its impact by painting a positive picture. Emphasise what something is, not what it is not. Highlight what the organisation can and will do, not what it cannot. Open with action, not apology or justification.

Keep it short

As a rule, a web article should comprise 50% (or less!) of the word count of a printed piece. So, when translating a print document into a web document, cut anything that's not essential and say what you need to in the fewest words possible.

Short sentences are better than long sentences, so be frugal. Avoid empty chatter like welcome text or vague ‘thank you’s. And steer clear of clever headings and catchy but meaningless phrases that readers must think about to understand.

Remember that web users can still press Print

Write short, but don’t ‘dumb down’ a message just to be obliging. Readers are more likely to thank you for providing the necessary depth than to grumble about page length. Luckily, most people prefer to read long or complicated texts offline so they’ll happily print lengthy documents that are comprehensive and provide necessary detail.

But if usage is difficult to predict, offer both a web version and a link to an easy-to-print page or printing alternative, such as a (low-res) downloadable PDF file. Above all, try to keep each webpage to one screen only! Web users may have highly evolved mouse fingers, but they hate scrolling with a passion.

Write objectively

Promotional language or ‘marketese’ places a burden on web users, who must use resources (like time and attention) to get past the exaggeration to the facts. When users read a paragraph that says: “Potchefstroom is filled with internationally recognised tourist attractions!” their first reaction is “No, it isn’t”. This slows them down and distracts them from the rest of the site.

Also, the web is not a shopping channel – and the last thing users want to see when they land on a website is an ad! So don't make your website look like one. Choose factual information over fluff or hype and treat your message as a good editorial piece.

In short, remember that most people are confronted with 3 500 commercial messages a day. Billboards, streetpole ads, text messages, e-mail, TV, radio, magazines, newspapers – and that’s before they get to work, where there’s more info waiting. So sneak under their radar with short, positive and objective text that’s easy to read.