Useful writing techniques....

Does anyone have any good writing techniques to share?

Here's a quick technique I've used recently.... I read about it in Edward Nash's book "Direct Marketing." He calls it the "mental dump" method....

The idea is you just write whatever's on your mind. Even crazy things, like "What do I say now?" and "I don't know what to write." Just whatever comes into your mind, write it down....

After a bit of gibberish, often what you are writing starts to make sense. In fact, sometimes it ends up being pretty good....

Then, you go back and delete all the gibberish at the beginning.

I think the reason why this technique works is because often we try to *edit* and *write* at the same time. I think this blocks our creative juices from flowing....

So, if we don't bother about "editing" at all, and just write whatever pops into our minds (no matter how silly or ridiculous it might be), then after a short while something useful can appear....

Then, you go back and edit out the gibberish later....

I hope this little tidbit helps some of you who may sometimes find it hard to find words to say, or who may find writing difficult....

Do you have any other useful writing techniques that you use, or that you've come across? Please let me know.... My writing could use some good advice. :)

Best wishes,

Dien Rice

> Does anyone have any good writing techniques
> to share?

Here's what I do whenever I have to write a sales letter, advert copy, newsletter ....

I get a tape recorder, grab the product I want to talk about, hit the record button and do a verbal sales presentation.

I pretend to talk to another person and "sell them" the product I am trying to promote. I usually take about 3-4 dry runs, then record one.

I then transcribe word for word my recording and sit down and ruthlesly edit, taking out anything I have said more than once (unless I want to say it twice for emphisis).

This way my sales letters have structure. An opening, grounding with the reader, selling the company, USB (unique selling benefits), and finally the close or call to action!

This method works well if yo have some sales skills, as "advertising is salesmanship in print".

Similar with a newsletter or book. I imagine sitting with a friend and trying to explain and convince them of something on a particular subject, and just record my speech. Somtimes I actually get a friend to listen so It's a sort of a two way conversaion. This way your friend may ask questions and I find the answers you give to those questions make great bullet points in your writing.

I'm not saying this is the easiest method, but I use it and find it gets the creative juices flowing.

I'm interested to hear any other methods too ...

Have a happy day!
Jason van Hooft




Drop by the Mail Order Forum and say Hi!

This technique has been around forever, well maybe not forever, but for as long as I can remember and no matter what I'm trying to sell or the marketing vehicle I choose, it works for me every time.

In fact it doesn't matter whether you're writing a press release, sales letter, selling from a website, a retail store or even trying to attract a partner, this formula really works.

I've seen many gurus and marketers dress it up and even call it a secret formula, but it always comes down to the same thing.

Can you guess what it is?

AIDA.

I know you knew all along, but I've seen so many people waste their money on someone’s expanded and secret version of AIDA that I thought I'd mention it here for the benefit of those who have forgotten how simple and yet effective it is and for those who have not heard of it before.

Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

Attention. This is where you grab the attention of your prospect. If it’s a press release or sales letter, then it’s a throat grabbing headline or at the very least something intriguing. If you own a store it could be your bright, interesting and/or different signage. If you’re trying to get the attention of a lady, it could be your manners or politeness, even an unheard but effective opening line. No I don’t mean "Let’s get horizontal baby!"

Interest Now you’ve got their attention you need to satisfy their ‘what’s in it for me?’ query. Again with a sales letter it would be the benefits (not features) of your product or service, how exactly will they benefit from what you’re offering, why is it the best. In the store environment, it could be your range, the stores layout, the service of the staff and sometimes the price, although I believe making price an issue is asking for trouble. It’s much better to add value in other ways. Now you’ve got the attention of the person you’re interested in, how can you make her interested in you. Would just listening to her make the difference? In a recent survey, they found that women who meet men find that the most frustrating part is the fact that they just don’t listen, even on the first encounter.

Desire. You’ve got their attention, made them interested, now you have to get them to desire what you have. If you’re targeting properly, then there will already be some in built desire. But to enhance it you can do several different things or add them all. Limited offer, limited stock, deadlines, benefit restating, telling them what they will lose if they don’t buy. In the store scenario, you can apply some of these things. Especially the limited stock , special price points and added value. As for that person you like, if they’re interested in you and enjoying your company, it could be the fact that you’re leaving early, just as things are going so well or the fact that you are actually listening to what they're saying.

Action. You must get them to act while their in heat. If your sales piece, store set-up or meeting with that person you like has got their attention, held their interest, got them hot for you’re offering then you need a little something that will seal the deal. It can be as simple as a PS at the end of the letter restating the benefits and time deadlines or a 24 hr contact number at the bottom of your press release. In the store scenario, it could be no deposit, no interest for 12 months or again the fact that stock is limited or maybe when you buy one thing you get some free give-aways with it. As for that person you’re interested in, what about just leaving suddenly and then quickly coming back and leaving your phone number or instead of asking for their phone number, giving them yours and then saying you have to go, but look forward to seeing them again.

There you have it. The complete formula for selling. It’s simple, it works and it’s no secret.

The reason why I added the ‘attracting a partner’ part is because AIDA can be used to sell absolutely anything, including yourself. It’s the only marketing formula I’ve used for the last 15 years and it still works today.

Like I said before, some marketers like to dress it up, expand it, call it something else or call it a secret, but from my experience AIDA outsells anything else and continues to bring in billions of dollars for those who apply it’s simple structure.

It really works because it relies on human traits. A shock headline gets our attention (we all find shocking things compelling) what’s in it for me, gets us interested (we’re all basically self absorbed to some degree) I have to have this now, makes it desirable (fear of losing out drives desire) and here’s my wallet, please let me have one, calls us to action (in today’s world, when we want something we want it straight away, not next week or next month, right now)

AIDA…like most successful things, nice and simple.

Richard

Dien,

I agree with Jason. Except he’s more mentally organized than I am. My thoughts come out in order in spurts, but mostly, they’re all over the board. My procedure below reflects this.

You don’t specifically say it’s sales materials you want to write. Here’s my procedure in writing an article, but I do much the same for a sales letter, too. Only the research is different.

1. Choose a subject you know.
2. Using a hand-held tape recorder, record every thought on the subject. I like the cheap Olympus Pearlcorder with variable speed playback. (About $40 at OfficeMax)
3. Transcribe the tape onto disk.
4. Research keywords using http://www.ixquick.com/
5. Find related websites.
6. When you find useful info, talk it into the recorder in your own words.
7. Print.
8. Categorize & label each thought into an idea ("oranges," "palmetto bugs," "artichokes," etc.).
9. Rearrange on disk, putting all thoughts about oranges first, then palmetto bugs, then artichokes, etc.
10. Print.
11. Prioritize the main points under "oranges," 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
12. Re-write each idea by priority.
13. Print.
14. Fill in any missing points.
15. Prioritize each idea in the subject, starting with the most important.
16. Print.
17. Edit out the extras and redundancies.
18. Read & edit, read & edit, read & edit, until it all makes sense.
19. Read the article again each of the next 5 days. Edit where necessary.

By the way … I have the tape recorder with me at all times, in “record” position, pause button on. Whenever an idea comes, I grab it. Of course, transcribing is a chore, but some of this has to be work.

The key part is the editing. So let’s focus in more on it.

What a reader wants most is clear, simple, understandable statements. When they get long-winded, sleep-inducing paragraphs, they’re gone.

Editing Tips:

1. Keep or improve the meaning. Simpler isn't necessarily better. When you edit, focus on the meaning.

2. Sharpen the meaning. Fewer, simpler words usually clarify with less chance of misunderstanding.

3. Delete extra or redundant words. Some sentences or paragraphs or articles repeat the same exact thing over and over, again and again, ad infinitum. (And if that sentence sounds fine to you, re-read the one before it.) You may well want to repeat an idea LATER in the article … but not in one sentence.

4. Downsize your words. Learn from the greatest, most memorable songs. Their short words convey clear meaning. "Ole Man River," for example:

http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/crosby/olmanriver.html

100+ words, total clarity, and only one word more than 2 syllables. When you write, keep your thesaurus nearby and replace long words with short ones.

5. Keep your readers. If you write clearly, they'll figure you think clearly. (And they're probably right.) If you also choose good subjects, they'll stick around.

Below are 3 paragraphs from 3 random ezines, followed by an edited version.

NOTE: I'm not picking on anybody. I have the greatest respect for people who actually DO something. I'd have even more respect if they would EDIT something.

#1:
"In previous written works, I have touched on the aspect of publishing a newsletter as a means of promoting your business. Why? Simply because I, along with thousands of other successful entrepreneurs have discovered that newsletter publishing ranks high in the most effective marketing concepts of an on-line business." (49 words)

Edit:
"To promote your online business, publish a newsletter. Why? Because it works like crazy." (14 words)

#2:
"It usually takes 6-7 sales presentations before a prospect turns into a customer. You won't have the chance to make those presentations, however, if you haven't developed a mechanism for ongoing communication. That's why it is necessary for you to employ several different methods of collecting site visitors email addresses." (50 words)

Edit:
"You may need 6-7 sales presentations to turn a prospect into a customer. So you absolutely MUST collect visitors' email addresses for automatic re-contact." (24 words)

#3:
"If you scroll down today's issue, you'll notice a new section entitled "Web Reviews". Every Friday I'll be scouring the Web to find a selection of some of the most useful sites for Internet marketers. These sites are *not* advertisements, but have been chosen independently by myself to feature in this e-zine because they have something that you might be able to use. Some of the sites may be commercial in nature, but my choice of sites is not going to be influenced in any way by this, so you won't see any affiliate links in the "Web Reviews" section." (100 words)

Edit:
"Announcing a new section: "Web Reviews." Each week I scour the Web for the top Internet marketing sites. Some listings are commercial, but the reviews aren't ads. None is an affiliate link. Do yourself a favor and check out these successful sites. Learn from them. Model them." (47 words)

See what I mean? Each edit conveys or improves the idea & clarity, yet each edit is fewer than half the words of the original. And each edit took just 3 or 4 minutes.

This isn't hard. It only requires you to:

1. Write down all your thoughts on a subject.
2. Focus clearly on what's important.
3. Delete the excess.

I spend way more time editing than on any other part of the writing process.

Richard Dennis

Hi Richard and Jason,

That's great advice :)

I did try a very basic version of what you say -- I just spoke into a tape (impromptu), then transcribed it, and edited it later.

However, my thoughts are often kind of disorganized, so the finished product (in this case an article) was kind of disorganized too.

I think that either of your suggestions -- like speaking multiple times, or just speaking your ideas and rearranging later -- would probably create a great improvement. :)

Transcribing was quite a bit of work, but overall it was easier to compose things this way. Somehow it seems easier to figure out what to say when you're speaking than when you're not.

Thank you both :)

Dien

Richard,

I kind of ignored AIDA for a long time.... I thought, "that's old hat."

Then I read something you wrote about it, and it really got my attention. I realized that I hadn't really understood it.

I hadn't seen a true in-depth explanation as you've given.

It's easy to say "Attention, Interest, Desire, Action" but it also needs to be explained (as you did, thanks!).

The main part I hadn't understood was the "Desire" part. How do you get people to salivate for your product? Even a long list of benefits won't make people droooool with anticipation....

I know there are many theories about the "Desire" part of AIDA. Some say "Add bonuses!" Others say other things....

Richard, do you have any more to add regarding the "Desire" part of the AIDA formula?

It's the part that interests me the most....

It's the part about getting that feeling, "I can't wait to have it!" (I've had that feeling, and I'm sure you have too....)

Cheers,

Dien

P.S. I'm sure "Remote Hypnosis" will also explain this.... I've only seen about half of it so far, and I'm already drooling for the other half.... :)

Richard --

Thank you so much for posting this. Opens up whole ideas for me from the research standpoint. Has some close ties to my "The Instant Expert" method from our book. I'll have to think about how they mesh.

Thanks again!

-- Dan Butler

> Dien,

> I agree with Jason. Except he’s more
> mentally organized than I am. My thoughts
> come out in order in spurts, but mostly,
> they’re all over the board. My procedure
> below reflects this.

> You don’t specifically say it’s sales
> materials you want to write. Here’s my
> procedure in writing an article, but I do
> much the same for a sales letter, too. Only
> the research is different.

> 1. Choose a subject you know.
> 2. Using a hand-held tape recorder, record
> every thought on the subject. I like the
> cheap Olympus Pearlcorder with variable
> speed playback. (About $40 at OfficeMax)
> 3. Transcribe the tape onto disk.
> 4. Research keywords using
> http://www.ixquick.com/ 5. Find related
> websites.
> 6. When you find useful info, talk it into
> the recorder in your own words.
> 7. Print.
> 8. Categorize & label each thought into
> an idea ("oranges," "palmetto
> bugs," "artichokes," etc.).
> 9. Rearrange on disk, putting all thoughts
> about oranges first, then palmetto bugs,
> then artichokes, etc.
> 10. Print.
> 11. Prioritize the main points under
> "oranges," 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
> 12. Re-write each idea by priority.
> 13. Print.
> 14. Fill in any missing points.
> 15. Prioritize each idea in the subject,
> starting with the most important.
> 16. Print.
> 17. Edit out the extras and redundancies.
> 18. Read & edit, read & edit, read
> & edit, until it all makes sense.
> 19. Read the article again each of the next
> 5 days. Edit where necessary.

> By the way … I have the tape recorder with
> me at all times, in “record” position, pause
> button on. Whenever an idea comes, I grab
> it. Of course, transcribing is a chore, but
> some of this has to be work.

> The key part is the editing. So let’s focus
> in more on it.

> What a reader wants most is clear, simple,
> understandable statements. When they get
> long-winded, sleep-inducing paragraphs,
> they’re gone.

> Editing Tips:

> 1. Keep or improve the meaning. Simpler
> isn't necessarily better. When you edit,
> focus on the meaning.

> 2. Sharpen the meaning. Fewer, simpler words
> usually clarify with less chance of
> misunderstanding.

> 3. Delete extra or redundant words. Some
> sentences or paragraphs or articles repeat
> the same exact thing over and over, again
> and again, ad infinitum. (And if that
> sentence sounds fine to you, re-read the one
> before it.) You may well want to repeat an
> idea LATER in the article … but not in one
> sentence.

> 4. Downsize your words. Learn from the
> greatest, most memorable songs. Their short
> words convey clear meaning. "Ole Man
> River," for example:

>
> http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/crosby/olmanriver.html
> 100+ words, total clarity, and only one
> word more than 2 syllables. When you write,
> keep your thesaurus nearby and replace long
> words with short ones.

> 5. Keep your readers. If you write clearly,
> they'll figure you think clearly. (And
> they're probably right.) If you also choose
> good subjects, they'll stick around.

> Below are 3 paragraphs from 3 random ezines,
> followed by an edited version.

> NOTE: I'm not picking on anybody. I have the
> greatest respect for people who actually DO
> something. I'd have even more respect if
> they would EDIT something.

> #1:
> "In previous written works, I have
> touched on the aspect of publishing a
> newsletter as a means of promoting your
> business. Why? Simply because I, along with
> thousands of other successful entrepreneurs
> have discovered that newsletter publishing
> ranks high in the most effective marketing
> concepts of an on-line business." (49
> words)

> Edit:
> "To promote your online business,
> publish a newsletter. Why? Because it works
> like crazy." (14 words)

> #2:
> "It usually takes 6-7 sales
> presentations before a prospect turns into a
> customer. You won't have the chance to make
> those presentations, however, if you haven't
> developed a mechanism for ongoing
> communication. That's why it is necessary
> for you to employ several different methods
> of collecting site visitors email
> addresses." (50 words)

> Edit:
> "You may need 6-7 sales presentations
> to turn a prospect into a customer. So you
> absolutely MUST collect visitors' email
> addresses for automatic re-contact."
> (24 words)

> #3:
> "If you scroll down today's issue,
> you'll notice a new section entitled
> "Web Reviews". Every Friday I'll
> be scouring the Web to find a selection of
> some of the most useful sites for Internet
> marketers. These sites are *not*
> advertisements, but have been chosen
> independently by myself to feature in this
> e-zine because they have something that you
> might be able to use. Some of the sites may
> be commercial in nature, but my choice of
> sites is not going to be influenced in any
> way by this, so you won't see any affiliate
> links in the "Web Reviews"
> section." (100 words)

> Edit:
> "Announcing a new section: "Web
> Reviews." Each week I scour the Web for
> the top Internet marketing sites. Some
> listings are commercial, but the reviews
> aren't ads. None is an affiliate link. Do
> yourself a favor and check out these
> successful sites. Learn from them. Model
> them." (47 words)

> See what I mean? Each edit conveys or
> improves the idea & clarity, yet each
> edit is fewer than half the words of the
> original. And each edit took just 3 or 4
> minutes.

> This isn't hard. It only requires you to:

> 1. Write down all your thoughts on a
> subject.
> 2. Focus clearly on what's important.
> 3. Delete the excess.

> I spend way more time editing than on any
> other part of the writing process.

> Richard Dennis




Computer news you will use...

I sat right behind Richard at the Bill Myers workshop a few weeks ago in Fayetteville, AR.

He whispered into that little recorder (once he figured out how to use it) continuously.

I sometimes caught myself listening to him more than Bill. HA!

Truthfully, it wasn't the least bit disturbing to ANYONE around.

So, we all left the workshop with our notes and ready to get on with some projects.

A few days later at Bill's Idea Bank, some of the members who could not attend the workshop asked about it.

Richard Dennis posted an OUTSTANDING outline of what was covered, it knocked everyone for a loop.

By recording, Richard didn't miss a thing. I was tardy one morning and missed some information. I asked some people that had taken notes, but they didn't have it either.

No one had it. Richard posted it for all of us to use. I take pretty good notes, but I missed some things even with that, the voice recorder was able to capture everything.

Richard I was IMPRESSED. Now if you only keep a fresh supply of batteries and don't forget the PAUSE button (in my best Sam Kinison imitation here)...THE PAUSE BUTTON...

I gave my micro to one of my kids, but I'm never far away from a cassette recorder, and I always carry an EXTERNAL BRAIN...and some of you know I stop you in mid-sentence to WRITE down some nifty idea I just heard you say, a pen and small notebook is in my opinion a crucial piece of equipment for any writer.

Have SOME way to capture your thoughts. That's the first point to becoming a berrter righter.

Gordon Alexander

>
a writing technique I use in working...
obviously not for message boards is...
Tony Buzan's mindmapping...first I tried
Gabrielle Rico's clustering technique which
is similar but for some reason Tony's technique
was easier for me. You may want to experiment
with both of them.
you can do a search on any search engine for
either the term "clustering and writing" or
"mindmapping and tony buzan"...good luck.
If you go to Amazon.com they have reviews of
tony's books...
If you like to know more about mindmapping let
me know, but there are some good websites online
which illustrate it beautifully. If you like
dealing with pictures or things of a graphical
nature I think you'll find mindmapping fun.
I plan to use the technique with the " pictogrigms".

Another writing technique I like is to
ask a question and do a q&a of the subject .
You pose as an interviewer and interviewee...
It helps when you get blocked.

> a writing technique I use in working...
> obviously not for message boards is...
> Tony Buzan's mindmapping...

> Another writing technique I like is to
> ask a question and do a q&a of the subject .
> You pose as an interviewer and
> interviewee...
> It helps when you get blocked.

Thanks, Sandy....

I haven't tried mind-mapping very much... Thanks for the tip... :)

And the interviewing method sounds very interesting! When I'm thinking, I do sometimes ask myself questions to stimulate answers....

(Sometimes I do this aloud, and people must wonder about me)....

Thank you! :)

- Dien