Asking the Right Questions

Looking through that wonderful “better or worse” gizmo at the optometrist’s the other day, I commented on what a wonderful technology such a machine was. “It’s an art, too,” was the doctor’s prompt reply. So, too, is writing. Certainly, there are mechanics that guide our writing, but saying what you mean to say requires being in touch with your artistic side, too. No, not your woo-woo, artsy, “wow, man, yeah,” artistic side, but the open, new-adventure-loving side that helps you cultivate a sensitivity to your purpose. Purpose, in a business sense is different from purpose in our daily lives. In general, I walk to get from Here to There, usually in as straight a line as possible. In business, we “walk” our services from Here to There in a manner that gets the most positive attention and customers possible, rarely in a straight line. We want to attract as many clients as we can, which means not only greeting everyone we walk past, making eye contact and shaking hands whenever possible, but also greeting the people peeking out their windows up above, selling from their shop fronts, driving by, and flying overhead. We want everyone to know who we are and what we do. In fact, it’s really not a walk, so much as a campaign. Even if you are doing something as simple as leaving business cards at a local dry cleaners, you are campaigning for yourself. Why am I rambling on like this? Because the primary way that we campaign for ourselves is through print. Advertising, web sites, online recommendations, networks, radio spots, you name it and someone has written it. And all of that writing must have a purpose.What makes one person’s Home page or About Me page better than another’s? Purpose. The next time your prose feels flat ask yourself, “why am I writing this?” “To get more business” is not a good enough answer. “To describe myself/my business” is not good enough, either. Go beyond the obvious and think about what you most want people to know about you and your business. All dry cleaners clean clothes, so why do we choose some over others? Personality, customer service, presentation, all the things that make personal service feel personal. Does your home page feel generic or anemic? Think beyond information and find your business’ personality! Why are you better than other providers? Why should I choose you? What makes you special? What makes you stand out? What makes you different? What makes doing business with you a personal experience and not just doing business? Are you “green?” Are you multi-lingual? Outdoorsy? Full of panache? Whimsical? Trendy? A solid, good old-fashioned straight-shooter in a world of squirrely business practices? Is your focus more toward men, women, children, families, or someone else? Who is your ideal customer? Why? How would you improve your business with a sudden infusion of cash? Why? What would be your worst kind of customer? Why? Who are your heroes? (Everybody now…) Why? I ask questions, lots and lots of questions. As an editor who focuses on purpose, continuity, and clarity, asking questions delivers more bang for a writer’s buck than all the grammatical and syntactical corrections put together. If you don’t know why you are writing, neither does your reader. Writing, like any technical endeavor, has an art to it, and you are the artist. Are you a Monet or a Jackson Pollock? Run DMC or Bono? Chuck Close or Ansel Adams?  Asking yourself questions and really listening to the answers is where the art comes alive and where your business thrives. Any questions?   2008-06-22T22:23:15Z

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asking-the-right-questions

2008-06-25T19:27:47Z

Does your home page feel generic or anemic? Think beyond information and find your business’ personality! Asking the right questions brings out the best writing.

Asking the Right Questions

2009-02-24T09:44:51Z