Writing for business; how to stop it boring your readers

How many exercise DVDs do you have sitting on your shelf unused?

1, 2, 20? My favourites are a yoga and a pilates exercise plans. And yes before you ask me I do use them. Some of the time. In our house we have an expression, ‘Eileen’s Darceying’ because I use a plan fronted by the wonderful ballet dancer Darcey Bussell.

I have this dream that one day I will get my leg as high as she can but it is a dream. And I use this and other dvds only a part of the time. My sticking time seems to be 3 months. Then after that the appeal wears off and I have to try something else.

Maybe you’re more disciplined than I am and if so I applaud you. But if not then I invite you to join the ‘I want to but club’

Why don’t we use them? Especially when we can see the results because I can and I’m sure so can you. But let’s be honest, we all get stuck into ruts in what we do whether it’s exercise, writing or any other activity.

That’s why it’s good to have a mixed programme. Like me with my exercises. I’ve worked out that if I use the Darcey programme 1 week in 3 and the yoga and another pilates programme the same ratio, it has 3 effects:
It stops the boredom.
It offers me different lengths of exercise period.
It exercises different muscles and parts of my body.

What might happen if we were to transfer this system to writing? If we write always from the same point of view won't we always come out with the same style of writing?

This holiday I’ve read short stories by Neil Gaiman called Fragile Things. In the introduction to the collection he explains how the stories started with all the different reasons and influences. His stories could be described as strange but what if you took the chains off your writing like he does?

It probably sounds daft but something as simple as changing your writing position can shift your perspective. What about that street scene that you couldn’t see before? Where are the people going and what is in their mind as they do it? Murder, love or resentment?

Immediately you might have the beginnings of 3 different stories and endings.

Or if you’re writing from a business viewpoint, imagine what needs those people have and if you were sitting next to them, how the conversation might go.

What qualities would creep… or explode into your writing that don’t now figure? How would that advance your writing and change your whole writing experience?

Feel free to comment on what you’d like to include this year but are uncertain about.

How do you write for business - using your senses?

'He'll see you now Eileen.'

The assistant held the door open for me and I walked in hand outstretched, deep breathing to stop the rising panic in my abdoment.

What's in your mind when you read those words? It's an interview? Or maybe a doctor's appointment or is it the dreaded bank manager?

In that case it was the bank manager, back in the days of 'real' bank managers, who weren't your friend who said yes but rather held you to account all the time.

Now if you've ever had any kind of interview where you felt nervous you could conjure up the same feelings as I had on that day. Newbie commercial manager, new company, new role. Out of my comfort zone by a factor of 10.

So in a few words I've made a connection - to a universal event and to a set of emotions which most people in business can share.

When people tell me business is factual, rational and emotionless I want to laugh. Because that's not my experience of being in business... or of how other people in business behave.

Last week I went networking. Small event which I like because it gives you chance to talk to people instead of threshing around trying to shower business cards around the room.

Let me give you 3 examples of emotion and passion I found in those business people.

1. Manager of very successful local bus company in charge of their flagship route. The energy flying off him could have powered the room.
2. Owner of a waste recycling company. So inside his subject and how he could help other businesses save money.
3. Manager for a local business organisation. Passionate about using resources wisely to help sustain small businesses.

None of those fed me facts and figures. Instead they all connected at a level of how they could serve other people.

Yes businesses want to save money. They also want their problems solved.

That means we have look from the inside out as if can see it from their perspective. As if we can hear their moans as yet another problem lands on their desk. And as if we're they're when they go home the end of the day with a stress headache.

So when you write to connect with prospective customers write about how you can give them a good night's sleep because you've solved their most pressing problem. Write about how they can expand their business because you've blitzed an obstacle out of their way. Show them how they can't possibly live without your service.

If you're not passionate, why should they be?

Writing a book - reasons to do it

7 REASONS TO WRITE A BOOK - 3

You have a passion for sharing knowledge.

What passions do you have that you can share? One of the facts the Internet has thrown up is that since we’re no longer restricted to the people in our neighbourhood the world is full of fans with interests.

You might be the one with the in-depth knowledge. You don’t know till you try. You can share knowledge on many levels. Let’s take an example of bringing up children. A book could be written from different perspectives.

Expert to beginner.
Paediatrician to mothers giving advice in a down to earth way.

Expert to expert.
Paediatrician to other doctors sharing findings of research.

Peer to peer.
Mum to other mums sharing their experiences, good or bad.

Lay person to expert
Mum to doctors telling them why in her experience some of their theories are wrong of unhelpful.

Mum to children
Talking about the problems of motherhood, or particular parts of it like dealing with teenagers.

For more reasons see The Writer's Little Book of .... Business Writing for Results

What makes you passionate?

I've been watching as many of the programmes in the BBC thread on poetry and reflecting that my passion for words was ignited by reading Keats.

At 14 with adolescent longings and no thought that I could write about my life, reading Keats startled me, terrified me and opened up a new world of words to me. Unlike modern teaching when children are encouraged to create for themselves, we sat in rows and listened.

It came back to me again last week when I went to a talk given by Rob Pittam from BBC ~Working Lunch~ and John Hemingway ex journalist and PR person.

The one thing they were agreed about in the fight for businesses to gain recognition and publicity was passion and it's what's lacking in many business websites. Rob described trying to get people to relax and just be themselves when they talked about their business rather than putting on their best clothes for tea in the parlour.

We get passion knocked out of us often when we enter the world of adulthood and work but if I think about the people who've drawn me to their products and services, it's those with passion I remember most. Like a young woman who ran Spanish clubs for children. She could hardly stand still she was so excited about what the classes could offer the children.

Sometimes when I get excited about things I start to babble which is embarrassing maybe but the words pour out of me as I try to communicate what I feel.

That's how we should write about our businesses. With such passion that even if people don't need our services, they remember the total commitment we have and the energy we create for what we love to do.