Write To Influence - Quick Guides for Managers

Description

Writing is about more than conveying information. It's about influencing someone to follow directions, agree with your position, take action or approve your business case. Take what you think you know about writing in your job and turn it on its head. You probably thought it was about being clear and concise so the recipient would understand it. If so, you'd be wrong. If you want to be successful, you need to think about your writing differently - What it's really about is influencing others. You probably learned in high school or college English classes all about how to write, but they rarely focus on how to communicate, much less influence with your communications. Business communications in college is often more about formatting letters, the traditional headings to use' formal structure, numbering, using appendices, numbering, creating technical documents and more. What it doesn't prepare you for is how to use your business writing to influence others, a key skill to being successful manager and climbing the corporate ladder. And, it's not a lot of help in the high tech, fast paced communications world we live in today and communication is simply about conveying information. In fact, the important part of communication isn't just about conveying information, it's making sure the information you convey delivers the results you need. Think about what you write in your job. Do you write procedures? If so, you shouldn't simply want people to understand them, you want them to follow them. That's influence. If you write business cases, you don't want to lay out a clear, logical argument; you want the reader to give you approval - that's influence. If you write letters and emails, it isn't about being readable, with good grammar and accurate spelling. If you think about it, you are always trying to get someone to do something, whether it's agree with you, approve something, or do what you want. Few managers are well equipped for this shift in what writing mean, partly because of what we've been taught in school about writing and the way communication has been defined for us in the past. The first step is to know what you want, then craft your written communication not only to convey information, you need to make sure it influence others. This book gives you the techniques you need to change your writing from simply conveying information to influencing others. Introduction Part 1 - Foundations Write to Influence Write to get Results Understand the Roadblocks Short Attention Spans Information Overload Very Little Time Think Strategically Establish Your Purpose Develop an Outline Assess and Target the Reader Prioritize Information Techniques that Influence Hitting the Hot Buttons Making Your Message Stick Keep it Simple Keep it Real Keep it Honest Make it Relevant Mirroring Negate Concerns The Middle Choice Give and Get Back Refer to Them Directly Turn Facts into Messages Looks Matter Why are Format & Structure so Important? Developing Structure Overall Structure Techniques Chunking Bookends Signposts Visual Structure & White Space Headings Pull Quotes / Info Boxes Bullets Tables (or table structure) Bold text Charts/diagrams/figures Boxing The Look and Feel Color Margins Font Readability The Mechanics of Writing Forget What You Learned in School Everyone has an Editor Writing to Persuade, not Sedate Spelling & Grammar Spelling Grammar Getting it on Paper Keep it Simple and Eliminate Extra Words Use Picture Language Speak Their Language Short Paragraphs, Short Sentences Use Active Sentences The POWER System for Writing The POWER system Prepare Outline Write/Wait Edit Review Part 2 - Application Writing Memos, Letters and Postings Give Them a Reason to Read Short and Visual Easy to Find Key Facts & Details Eliminate Filler Format for Clarity Focus on the Reader’s Needs Answer Their Questions Ask for Action Example Original Letter Revised Letter Writing E-mails Make Subject Line Clear Lead with Your Call to Action Avoid Large Blocks of Text Keep it Short Use Formatting Writing Business Cases Use Relevant Headings Know Your Audience Provide Convincing Details Deal with Objections Leave Things Out that Don’t Matter Call to Action Writing Articles or Newsletters It’s all About the Content Content Checklist Producing Your Newsletter Sample Newsletter Tips for Writing your Newsletter Write a Catchy Heading Write a Strong Lead Paragraph Speak Directly to the Reader Show Action Don’t use Terminology Frame your Subject Tell Readers why it Matters to Them Writing Procedures Get into Their Heads Keep Procedures Short and Simple Checklists Graphics & Diagrams Format & Structure User Involvement Index