Storytelling in business writing is a hot topic, in part because we now know how powerful stories are. MRI tests, for instance, have proven that our brains light up more creatively when we hear or read stories. And we’ve learned that stories make our messages stick because they tap into our emotions, where we buy and buy in.

Of course, journalists have known this for decades. It’s in our DNA that stories make information more interesting and memorable. So, I’m excited that stories are increasingly welcomed in the workplace. Goodness knows we need to make our business writing more creative. Now that we’re writing more than ever (so many texts, e-mails, tweets, blogs, articles!), we need to make our messages stand out.

Stories can do that.

One of the best ways to develop your storytelling skills is to read the New York Times. Last week, I read an essay by Dan Barry about growing up a Yankees fan when, hard as it is to imagine, they hovered around the cellar. Barry’s essay is a work of art that made me involuntarily clutch it to my heart when I finished reading. Check it out: The Damned Yankees.

When you’ve read it a few times (once just isn’t enough), explore why this piece is so powerful. Deconstruct it from every angle: how does he start, how does he finish, how does he keep his middle from sagging? You’ll learn a lot about storytelling simply by poring over his genius.

When you tell stories in your business writing, you’ll set yourself apart. Most business writers still overlook this easy and fun way to engage their readers. And when you tell more stories, your business writing becomes more effective. You’ll not only increase your results, respect, and revenues, you’ll make your business writing more creative. And for that, I salute you!

What stories do you tell at work? How do you incorporate them into your business writing? What results have you enjoyed?

This winter, sunny California has lived up to its name, which means spring fever arrived early. After a recent business-writing meeting, I couldn’t resist strolling Oakland’s College Avenue to check out the colorful shops. In one of my favorites, I got a good laugh from a pack of sticky notes featuring a woman holding up a file folder with the headline: “File under ‘Who cares?’”

On the way home, though, I wasn’t laughing when I thought about how fat that file would be today. About 80 percent of all business writing could be filed under that category.

What a waste of time, effort, and most of all, potential.

Time: Even 10 minutes spent on writing filed under “Who cares?” is a waste for the writer and the reader.

Effort: I’m sure that most of the people turning out “Who cares?” documents want their business writing to be more effective, but they honestly don’t know how. They’re already discouraged by their results, and their motivation takes another hit with every “Who cares?” reaction.

Potential: Here’s the real kicker—lost sales, missed opportunities, and flagging spirits. They all happen when our business writing doesn’t generate the interest it should.

OK, so what’s the antidote? What can you do to make your readers care? Try the one-two punch:

1. Write to them not at them.

-   Share stories, benefits, and results through your readers’ eyes. What do they care about? Use that as your focus rather than what you want to tell them. You’ll still get your points across—but they’ll be framed from your readers’ perspective.

-   Engage them. Use the word “you” often. It’s a proven magnet that keeps people reading.

2. Get [a little] creative.

I added that “little” qualifier because people freeze at the word “creative.” Don’t. There are so many easy ways to be more creative. And besides, since most people are slapping together their business writing, you can stand out with just a few creative touches. (Don’t worry about these in your early drafts. Add them in your editing phase.)

Here are four easy ways to be more creative:

-  Paint pictures with similes: Introduce new ideas in your business writing by comparing them to something familiar; use like and as to connect the new with the familiar. For example: Our services are like an a la carte menu—you get to choose exactly what you want.  Or: Lumping our software packages into one category is like saying pasta is just spaghetti. Your readers will be on your wavelength in a fraction of the time.

-  Add a lyrical lilt with alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (“Paint pictures” and “lyrical lilt with alliteration”). The effect is engaging and memorable, which makes your message stand out.

-  Create mystery with foreshadowing: Mention a point early on but save the explanation until later. You’ll create drama and tension by withholding key information—which keeps your readers reading.

-  Incorporate dialogue: Introduce other voices into your article and have them talk to one another. Dialogue also makes the page look less dense—and more appealing to your readers’ eye.

When you give these creative techniques a try, your articles and blogs, reports and proposals will be filed under “Important Ideas!”

What creative techniques do you use to add interest to your business writing? What successes have you had that you can attribute to a well-crafted proposal, report, blog—even e-mail?

Journalists are the Casanovas of nonfiction writing. They flirt with their readers with come-hither headlines, lure with their leads (first paragraphs), and court with the lyrical lilt of alliteration, creative wordplay, and robust calls to action.

I’ve been both a journalist and business writer, and I know how much journalists taught me about engaging my readers. Their tricks of the trade make your business writing more fun to write—and read—because it’s more conversational, creative, and compelling. That’s what it takes to rise above the onslaught of reports, e-mails, blogs, articles, and white papers flooding our inbox every day.

David Oglivy, the “father of advertising,” warned, “You cannot bore someone into buying your product.” In my business writing training and coaching, I paraphrase that as: “You cannot bore someone into reading your business letters, reports, proposals, newsletters, articles, blogs—even your e-mail.” (You wouldn’t believe how quickly people delete something they don’t like the looks of!)

Let’s take a look at how you can copy journalists to make your content more powerful and creative:

1. First, spend time in the magazine section of your local bookstore. Study the cover lines—those provocative headlines on the front cover of any publication from Cosmo to Inc. That will show you how to grab people’s attention. Back at your desk, use the same technique when writing e-mail subject lines and headlines for blogs, reports, articles, newsletters. “Get more out of your sales” becomes “Five ways to increase your revenue” and “Reorganize your office” becomes “Drowning in paper? Try our SOS (Simple Office System).”
2. Now, grab a cup of coffee and read an article or two. Notice the tone of the articles? Today’s journalism is conversational and approachable. You won’t find much jargon or convoluted phrasing here. (Hint: They get rid of that in the editing phase.)
3. Next, see all those subheads in bold?  They’re like mini-headlines every two or three paragraphs, and you want to make them as interesting as you would a headline. Add those to your documents to break up the content, make it easier on the eye, and attract skimmers. (We’re all skimmers these days, and subheads help draw us in.)
4. Finally, consider sidebars, a journalist’s best friend for tedious lists. Don’t clog your content—and your readers’ minds—with laundry lists of details. Put them in sidebars, those boxes that often accompany magazine and newspaper stories.  Studies show they are often more read than the body copy.

You too can woo with words—and make your readers fall in love with your content.

How do you attract readers? What tricks of the trade are your favorites?

Do you ever put off business writing because you feel intimidated by the process? You’re in good company. Not long ago, I received the following comment to one of my blogs: “I really appreciate your laid-back attitude to getting punctuation perfect. For those of us working on improving our writing, your approach takes a lot of the pressure off.”

The key words here are “pressure off.” It’s not that I’m advocating higgledy-piggledy punctuation. But given the fact that four different style books state four different ways to use commas, for example, I wanted people to know that there isn’t always just one correct way.

Now I’d like to take a little more pressure off:

Don’t panic if you find a typo after you hit “Send.”

Do you need to proof like crazy and find a proof buddy to proof even crazier? You bet. But when the inevitable happens, accept it. I proof my work; I pay people to proof my work, and still typos sneak by. Newspapers and magazines have many levels of writers and editors reviewing content, and still typos hide out. Ad agencies make staff members read content backwards and out loud, and still typos stow away. It happens.

I finally embraced this “laid-back attitude” about typos when I was talking with Kathy Goughenour (www.ExpertVATraining.com), who was way ahead of me on this topic. I told her about someone we both admired who was ranting about typos and how he’d never hire anyone who had a typo in a cover letter or resume. I thought Kathy, who’s a consummate professional and trains virtual assistants to be just as professional, would agree. To my surprise, she scoffed. She told me that was absurd, especially since an excellent candidate simply could have had – gasp! – a human moment.

And just like that the silly notions I held about perfection flew away. That kind of bad business-writing advice makes people quiver and quake when they face a writing project. Thank you, Kathy, for bringing me to my senses.

And in case you need a little more validation, check out Seth Godin’s blog post about the inevitability of disappointing yourself and others. Typos are a disappointment for sure, but they shouldn’t stop you from bringing your “magic into the world.”

How do you feel about typos? Would you really nix a qualified applicant just because of a typo? What other bad business-writing advice do you hear?

Butchered business writing. I’ve got a million of ‘em. Examples of terrible business writing stream into my inbox, and I save them as often-amusing, sometimes-disturbing writing training examples.

One article-writing company is a wellspring of examples. (You’d think these e-mail gaffes couldn’t be good for business, but this company has been around for years. Go figure.)

Victim #1
Regardless of the type or scale of business you operate in, you need the help of marketing if you are going to make said business a success, but the question that remains now is do you know how to effectively do this?

Ouch! That sentence runs 42 words and rambles like a 3-year-old at the circus. Writing concisely is essential in today’s impatient e-world.  How about:

Do you know how to effectively market your business?

Ah. Nine words, same message.

Victim #2
Now for a one off payment of $39 you will have access to all of the knowledge you could possibly need to successfully market your business and gain a flood of new traffic to your website, which has the potential of turning into a flood of new customers and clients.

Same company, only now we’re up to 50 words. I guess this flood of words goes with the tortured theme of this sentence. And what is a “ one off payment”? The missing hyphen makes me stumble. But even “one-off” seems bloated; “only $39” tells me all I need to know.

For only $39, you’ll learn how to drive traffic to your website, where you can convert visitors into new customers and clients.

Only 22 words, and I’m more inclined to 1) read this and 2) respond.

Get concise later
Don’t worry about extra words in your first drafts. That’s when you want to let it rip to save time and tap into your creativity. But by the third or fourth drafts, take time to cut extra words and all those redundant words that say the same thing. (Just kidding. I know I don’t need “that say the same thing.”)  Delete adjectives that are virtually synonymous, e.g., active and energetic; exceptional and unique. Concise is only one step in the editing process. Get your free copy of my “Editing for Success Checklist” to help you edit like a pro.

Victim #3
We offer money back guarantees on all of the products that we sell.  If you are not completely satisfied with the product for any reason, simply return the unused and used portion for a refund.

I recently bought an herbal capsule from this company. When I read the fine print, I was astonished to find that in order to get my refund, I needed to produce not only the capsules left in the bottle, but the ones I’d ingested!  I don’t know whether this is simply bad writing or a legal loophole that means they don’t have to refund my money. On the other hand, I suppose I could substitute some of those regurgitated turkey vulture pellets mentioned in last week’s blog post!

Do you have any questions about writing more concisely? What are your thoughts about the other extreme so popular today: writing with terse bulleted phrases? Do you have any examples of outrageously bad offers?

One of my favorite creative business writing techniques is to ask “What if?” First, those two words draw me in like Vegas to a gambler. I immediately want to know how this imaginary scene will play out. Second, “what if” sets up scenarios that enliven the delivery of ho-hum facts and technical information.

In your business writing, you can literally use the words “what if,” or you can simply imply them. That’s what Joanie Smith, the owner of my local bird-supply store, did in her story exploring the fantastic situation of “what if birds could talk?”

A few months back I was working outside in the hot sun. I was getting sweaty and tired, not paying much attention to anything other than getting the job done when I noticed a dark figure on the ground not further than 15 feet away.

Wondering why I didn’t notice it before, I moved a little closer. I was surprised to find that I was being watched by a turkey vulture. “Oh, hi,” I said nervously. “I don’t smell that bad, do I”  “Not yet,” he said matter-of-factly. “Things are kind of slow today, so I thought I’d glide down for a look-see.”

“So,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going. “How do you like being called a turkey vulture?”
“DON’T like it,” he replied. “We’re not related to turkeys. Not related to hawks or eagles either…”

Thanks to “what if?” Joanie successfully grabs my attention and holds it as I learn more about turkey vultures than I ever thought I wanted to know. In fact, I’m spellbound. She tells this story so masterfully that I find I actually do want to know about turkey vulture diets, their regurgitated pellets, and even their feces!

To close, she gives the turkey vulture a whiff of something irresistible.

“Whoa! Wait a second. I’m getting something here.” He waved his wing feathers in front of his beak… “Well, gotta go. It’s not every day you get a chance to gorge on a putrid cow carcass. See ya!” He and his offspring took off. Then, he quickly flew back around and called, “Hey, care to join us for lunch?”

“No thanks,” I said, “I think I’ll have a salad.”

Do you see how “what if?” allowed Joanie great freedom to create and inform? Give it a try in your business writing when you’re facing a litany of facts that need a spark or when you want to grab your readers’ attention. What if you do something? What if you don’t do something? What if pigs fly?

How can you use “what if?” to engage your readers?

P.S. If you’re lucky enough to live in San Francisco’s East Bay, stop by East Bay Nature at 1270A Newell Avenue, Walnut Creek. And sign up for Joanie Smith’s newsletters. They’re always this creative.

Last week, I read an amusing essay in the New York Times about the increasingly popular use of exclamation points in business writing, especially e-mail and texts. BE—before e-mail—any serious writer wouldn’t consider using them unless the comments were truly, well, exclamatory: “I never!” or “Goodness gracious!”

But AE—after e-mail—we’ve naturally gravitated toward using this happy-looking slash + period. I say naturally because after you’ve received your first 1,000 e-mails (which, sadly, can take less than a week), you can’t help but sense the cold, flatness of the medium. It drains the life out of the most animated prose. Back in writing school, they teach that if you need to use exclamation points, you probably need to rewrite and make your copy livelier. But, frankly, who’s got that much time? Today, my students balk at proper grammar and punctuation; I can’t imagine suggesting that they take the time to make each word s-i-n-g. In an ideal world, that would be grand. In our real world, one or two exclamation points seem to work just fine. (Emphasis on “one or two.” More on that in a minute.)

Reluctantly, as though they were confessing to a dark secret, several famous authors cited in the essay shared their predilection for exclamation points. Some did suggest restraint, however, and that’s what I teach as well. “More than one or two in an e-mail,” I often say, “and your e-mail looks more like a teenager’s diary than a business document. It won’t be taken seriously.”

The essay also quotes the co-author of one of the best books on the subject, Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better, by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. “The exclamation point is the quickest and easiest way to kick things up a notch,” Schwalbe says, “but not if you’re angry. Only happy exclamation points.”

Good point!

When do you use exclamation points? Are you a binger or is restraint more your style?

Have you noticed that 800-pound gorilla in your office? You know, the one that hovers in the corner, breathing its stale breath across just about every desk. Most people keep their heads down, not wanting to make eye contact with this killer—killer of sales, deals, promotions, and respect.

That behemoth is also known as bad business writing. Not many people want to face this hairy, scary creature—it just seems too big to tackle. But honestly, the solution is simpler than you may think. (And ignoring it can prove disastrous!)

Recent articles in newspapers and trade magazines lament how e-mail and texting have strangled our ability to produce effective business writing. And to some extent, that’s true. But the problem has been around much longer and goes even deeper. I believe the root of bad business writing stems from a misunderstanding of the writing process.

Why didn’t we learn this in school?
That’s what students and clients often ask me. I’m not sure why, but somehow we came away with the idea that writing is a compendium of grammar rules we keep vaguely in mind as we string words together. But the writing process is much more organic than that. It includes an understanding that in order to produce a polished piece, for example, we must allow ourselves to write a dreadful first draft—something most of my students think is a waste of time, a sign of their inability to write, or both.

I understand. I used to feel that way too. Then Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, cured me in an instant when I read her chapter entitled “Sh**ty First Drafts. Click! Just like that I turned off that ornery voice in my head. She gave me permission to write those awful early drafts and taught me that they are simply the means of getting my thoughts down so I can make them better later. Which brings up another misunderstood tenet of the writing process: editing. (More on that next time.)

Start today!
Do you worry about your first draft not being perfect? Let me be your Anne Lamott and assure you that 99 percent of great writers, writers you admire, start with dreadful first drafts. Those lousy drafts are your best work at that moment. They are the best anyone can do in that early phase of the writing process.

OK, now try to write your first drafts fast. When you do, you’ll:

1. Have more time to edit (because good writing is really good editing).
2. Tap into more creativity. (That’s how the brain works!)

So, write those fast—and dreadful—first drafts, knowing that you’re off to a great start. That’s your first step in making friends with that 800-pound gorilla—and increasing your sales, deals, promotions, and respect.

Lately, I’ve been teaching a lot of grammar, and goodness knows we need the help. I see lots of gaffes and typos every day. My two favorites from last week:

1. “I’m looking Howard your recording.”  Huh?  Who’s Howard? Oh, “forward.”  

2. “Our audience is composted of listeners who…”  Oh dear, composted audiences?  I think that presentation ran entirely too long! 

But I’m not going to rant about bad business writing. Enough people are doing that. I want to get beyond grammar and into creativity. Out of the weeds and into wide open spaces. 

Grammar is like a pile of bricks. Both are just building blocks. In the case of bricks, they lay the foundation for everything from a forbidding prison to a fabulous palace. Same with grammar. A dull blog and an exciting article can both be composed with perfect grammar. We can futz over this comma and that hyphen, but we also need to understand that without great ideas and creative ways of delivering them, no matter where we put that comma or hyphen, our writing will likely bore the socks off our readers! 

That’s where creative business writing comes in. Consider these three easy ways to write with more wow! 

1. Write to your readers, not at them. Offer benefits they’ll enjoy from your products/services instead of dumping a bunch of features on them. Be nice to your readers. Make their lives easier. Talk to them as though they’re your best friends. Use the word “you” a lot to engage them.  

2. Tell stories. I read recently where storytelling is now a “must-have competency for leaders.”  First, it probably always has been. Second, if those leaders tell stories with words like “must-have competency for leaders,” I bet their audiences start composting too. Tell real stories to engage people—and leave the corporate buzzwords behind.

3. Have fun! What? Fun with business writing? Yes, especially when you add creative touches such as dialogue, foreshadowing, similes, and alliteration. Your writing will stand out, which means you’ll get the respect you deserve. And your readers will read (and act on) your copy, which is why you wrote to them in the first place. 

What’s your experience with creative business writing? What do you like to do to make your writing stand out? 

P.S. Grammar is an essential element of good writing, and I encourage everyone to get one of these excellent books—Elements of Style; Eats, Shoots & Leaves; and The Well-Tempered Sentence—to bone up on basics.

Recently, while doing research on the Internet, I came across this request:

Hello, I want to find an expert who can create my business writing such as mission statement, primary aim, and strategic objective.

As a business writing coach, I hear a lot of excuses why people can’t or won’t write, and sometimes they even make sense. But this one has me flummoxed. The reasons for starting a business are so intimate to the creator, I can’t imagine how the task of writing these messages could be successfully passed on to a stranger. No one is “expert” enough to craft these messages. Sure, maybe someone could tidy up the final draft, but the originals need to come from the heart of the founder. They must be steeped in the passion that went into founding the business. No one else can capture that.

My guess is this person (for some reason I think it’s a man) is overworked and looking for help. I empathize, but hire an accountant or a virtual assistant—not a writer.

Or maybe he’s carrying around an old fear of writing. Lots of people do. And my advice to these clients (and this person, if he’s reading this blog): Just make yourself write.

How?

Set a timer. The fearful part of our brain and the part that puts off unpleasant tasks love timers. Somehow timers are soothing. “Oh this will last only 10 minutes. I can handle that,” they seem to think.

Set a timer and write for 10 minutes. Pour out your heart. Let ideas and feelings out that you wouldn’t want to say in public. Don’t worry; this is just for you (at least this incarnation). Let it rip.

Next, go back and find the good stuff, the real feelings about why you started your company, why you’re making a difference in the world, how you’ve got the solution to those painful problems that keep your customers awake night.

Now, sleep on it, literally and figuratively. Walk away and go back to your day-to-day work. If something new comes to mind during the day, jot it down. Those ideas are precious—and ephemeral. You’ve awakened your creativity. You’ve honored it by allowing it to flow, and it will pay you back with innovative ideas that just pop into your head. Give them the respect they deserve. Capture them. Add them to your rough draft.

Finally, literally sleep on it. Check it in the morning. Ah, more ideas and better syntax. That’s how the brain works. Edit a few more times.  Wait a week or more. Let the ideas flow.

Now ask a writing expert to review your ideas, to make them compelling and correct. Your passion and personality are emblazoned on the words. It’s safe to share them.

Try this method anytime you face a writing task you don’t feel up to. Large or small, prosaic or ponderous, the type of project doesn’t matter. This technique will take your business writing to the next level and increase your confidence about what you can accomplish.

Who needs an expert? You’ve got one inside that marvelous brain of yours just waiting to be tapped.