The ?Write? Way to More Sales

The sales letter you can't put down?the advertising copy that makes you want the product?the resume that prompts you to call the job candidate this second?all these are examples of exceptional business writing. While you certainly know good writing when you see it, can you write with the same pizzazz the professionals use to hold your attention for pages on end?

In today's selling arena, writing skills have taken a backseat to other seemingly more important professional development activities. Most sales people would rather attend a seminar on negotiation strategies or marketing tactics rather than learn the proper usage of "that" or "which" in a sentence. What they fail to realize, however, is that good writing skills are just as important to their future success as is their ability to locate prospects and close deals. Without good writing skills, your printed documents may very well undermine the professional image you work so hard to achieve.

The fact is that your prospects, your customers, and even the community judge you and your dealership based on the written documents you put out to the world. Sales letters riddled with errors, advertising copy that is boring, and media announcements that ramble on for pages send the message that you're careless, uncreative, and possibly incapable of delivering quality service. People want to buy cars from those individuals they perceive as knowledgeable and competent. Your writing is the perfect opportunity to showcase your professionalism and close the sale.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a professional editor or journalist to write effectively. In fact, there are a number of self-editing techniques professional writers use to catch embarrassing errors that could cost them the sale. Use these guidelines as a way to proofread your own writing so you can make all your printed materials reflect the professionalism you display in every other business activity.

1. Reread your work out loud.

After they write a document, most people reread it to themselves to scan for errors. While this is certainly a good start, it should not be your sole means of proofreading. After scanning the document silently, read it out loud and really listen to the words you're saying. Does your tongue stumble over a block of words? Do certain phrases sound funny or out of place? Is a sentence so long that you're gasping for breath by the time you reach the period? Do your own words put you to sleep? All these are signs that a section of your document needs some tweaking.

When you read a document to yourself, you're relying on only your eyes to catch writing errors. However, when you read a document out loud, you're activating your sense of hearing and forcing your brain to concentrate on each individual word rather than visual cluster. Now you not only see missing commas, incorrect words, or subject-verb disagreements, but you can also hear when something sounds out of place. When you hear as well as see what you're writing, you can catch more errors and produce a written document that holds the reader's attention.

2. Rely on yourself, not your spell check.

The spell check feature on your computer is both a blessing and a hindrance to writing success. While spell check can locate and correct blatantly misspelled words, it can't catch those words that are spelled correctly but used incorrectly. You know the words: right/write, meet/meat, you're/your, there/their/they're, no/know, plus a host of others. Such words, called homonyms, are often immune to computerized spell check features and can single-handedly undermine your writing skills.

As you reread your document, both silently and out loud, pay special attention to known homonyms and read out your contractions. So if your text reads, "Please know which word *you're* supposed to use," proofread it as "Please know which word *you are* supposed to use." This way you'll be able to catch those instances when you write, "You're writing skills are impeccable," but really mean "Your writing skills are impeccable."

3. Start from the end.

The more you read something, the more your brain begins to memorize it. If you reread a document over and over, you eventually get to the point where your brain knows what's coming next, so your eyes go into scan mode. While you think you're really reading the document closely, your brain is only picking up key words and drawing on memory to fill in the blanks. So even though your 50th read-through confirms that your document is error-free, your reader (who has never seen the document before) will quickly spot careless errors you scanned right over.

When you feel that you've read your document too many times and can't get past scan mode, mix things up for your brain. Read the last sentence of your document first just to check for things like sentence structure, grammar, spelling, etc. Then read the sentence above the last and do the same. Pull sentences out of the text at random and check for errors. By treating each sentence as a stand alone unit rather than as part of a flowing document, your brain will perk up and not be anticipating the next memorized line. You'll catch more errors when you look at the individual elements of your document instead of focusing on the overall content.

4. Go to the experts.

You may have a dictionary on your office bookshelf and perhaps even a thesaurus. But do you have a good grammar guide? Anyone who produces written documents can quickly improve his or her writing simply by referring to a grammar guide for writing tips.

Your local bookstore has many grammar guides available. Browse through a few to determine which one adequately addresses your particular writing challenges. Some guides focus specifically on grammar issues, while others pay particular attention to matters of writing tone and style. Some target news writing, angle their topics to business writing. Choose a guide you're comfortable with, refer to it often, and watch your writing improve.

Better Writing Now

Competition in business is fierce these days. Don't let a misspelled word or incorrect sentence kill the deal. Practice the tricks of self-editing so every written document you produce showcases your knowledge, competence, and professionalism. Before you know it, your customers will be unable to resist your written messages, and your sales figures will soar.

Dawn Josephson, the Master Writing Coach?, is President and founder of Cameo Publications, LLC, an editorial and publishing services firm located in Hilton Head Island, SC. Dawn empowers leaders to master the printed word for enhanced credibility, positioning, and profits. She is also the author of the book Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books and the co-author (with Lauren Hidden) of the new book Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros. Contact her at dawn@cameopublications.com or at 1-866-372-2636.

---

Never Stop Selling

The question: "When should a growing company slow down its... Read More

Refining Your Telephone Prospecting Techniques To Be A Master Closer!

Let me create a picture for you. This is the... Read More

The Allure of Antique Store Fixtures

They say if you wait long enough, a style you... Read More

Lessons Learned At Gunpoint

"If you do anything foolish or try to get out... Read More

Too Much Empathy Will Cost You Money

Ever have a prospect start out your sales call by... Read More

Are You a Winner or Whiner?

I've found that winners say "I choose to." Whiners, on... Read More

How to Blow Rapport Really Fast

Do you have 5, 10, or 20 years of sales... Read More

Selling ? Remember These Ten Rules and Succeed

There are thousands of books and seminars on how to... Read More

The Basic Secrets of A Million Dollar Sales Letter

"Accepting the consequences, good or bad, will free you; take... Read More

Give Up the Need to Sell

Most business people will tell you that selling is not... Read More

Stuff We Make Up About Our Prospects

? Go through the "no's" to get to "yes." ?... Read More

Are You Selling What They Want To Buy? Is It An Appropriate Solution?

Let me tell you about my friend Peter who has... Read More

Obtaining Self-Confidence

A reader recently asked me the following: "I enjoyed the... Read More

Do You Have Enough Prospects To Make Your Numbers?

Several years ago I worked with a CPA who wanted... Read More

Your Clients Buying What Youre Selling

Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More

Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client

Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every... Read More

The Biggest Mistake In Selling!

Some trainers and sales managers teach that there are prospects... Read More

Ask for the Business

Many times in the process of making a sales presentation... Read More

Going Global: Communication Across Mental Boundaries

A completed communication consists of a sender and a receiver.... Read More

How Can a White Paper Support Sales and Marketing?

A white paper supports PR, marketing and sales because it... Read More

How to Build A Steady Stream of Customers--Step One

The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More

What Successful Sellers Know - Others Dont ... The Subtle Art of Closing

Ask any salesperson, "At what point in the selling process... Read More

Sex Sells!

An attractive woman has a decided advantage as sales representative... Read More

Your Best Friend - The Phone

We all know that you can't earn your commission until... Read More

Generating Sales Leads

Any company that relies on selling a product or service... Read More

Peak Performance ? What You See Is What You Get!

Would you like an easy way to track the performance... Read More

3 Ways To Sell and Have Fun Doing It

There are many ways to sell and have fun doing... Read More

Why People Use Long Sales Copy

Have you ever wondered why some people use long sales... Read More

How Improve Conversion Rates

Do you know your conversion rates? Conversion rate is the... Read More

Everything in Life is Selling

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More

Making the Sale When the Customer Wont Buy

Ever had a party online or offline, and had guests... Read More

EXHIBITORS - Check Your URL

How many of you have a corporate web site? Everybody... Read More

Winning Sales Proposals

Your proposal is selling for you when you're not there,... Read More