Newsletters are great vehicles for providing information about your firm and its capabilities. Unfortunately, writers often get caught in the “you-rah-rah” trap and fill valuable space with announcements about births, anniversaries (employment and wedding), even Aunt Betty’s favorite recipe.

Those topics are fine for newsletters geared toward your employees.
But don’t bore your customers and prospects with such material. Instead, concentrate on what’s of interest to them: changes in tax law or import/export regulations, how to save money or solve a problem (case studies are very useful here), minor maintenance hints, suggestions for preparing their workplace or equipment for a change in season, and so on.

If you’re stumped for subject material, contact some of your readers for suggestions. Their suggestions will help ensure that your newsletter is covering the topics of relevance to your readers. And that your newsletter is read and retained.

copyright 2007

Certain proposals, such as those from government agencies, follow a set format. When given the opportunity to generate a proposal, put forth some additional effort to help set yours apart from the others.

Background research:

Review the firm’s website and sales literature (if possible) for a better understanding of its products or services and how it competes. Any unique features? How does the company position itself in the marketplace? A tagline or slogan can give you some idea.

Review vision and mission statements for a sense of corporate philosophy. Tailor your message and approach to this viewpoint. Chances are you’ve had some discussion with the prospect’s staff. If not, talk with people involved in the project for additional insight into the firm’s needs.

Doing this research shows that you’re serious about helping the prospect and not just becoming an order taker.

Your Unique Selling Points:

Why should the prospect hire your firm? Talk about your strengths and capabilities, such as experience in that industry or in addressing similar problems; proprietary technology that is ideally suited to this project; your numerous offices to handle the prospect’s far-ranging needs; an ability to adapt as the client grows; and so on.

The more value you can show, the better chance you have of standing out, particularly against low-price bidders.

Strategy:

Specify how you will carry out your plan and who is involved. Describe how your efforts will solve problems or meet the firm’s goals. Include a timetable for longer projects. This shows you are organized and provides additional measurable goals. Emphasize your concern by writing in the “you” format.

Budget:

Along with your itemized estimates, include some explanation for costs that are higher than average. Perhaps you provide additional services (24/7 support, extended warranty) or other benefits, such as higher quality parts or manufacturing. Put your costs into perspec-tive by showing the added value you offer.

Clear writing:

Write clearly. Remember, you’re not being judged on your ability to wow the prospect with acronyms and jargon. Your proposal is considered largely on the solutions you offer. Your prospects are savvy, intelligent people. Treat them accordingly.

Finally, proofread your copy and edit aggressively. Have at least one person not associated with the project proofread your material. This is your chance to shine. Don’t ruin it with simple mistakes or overbearing text.

copyright 2007, TRF, Wisconsin

Impact and affect

Business people have a knack for crafting new uses for words and phrases. We now “grow” our businesses. (Is everyone in farming?) 'Impact' is another abused verb, as in "The rising price of steel is impacting our bottom line."

While it can be used as a verb in limited cases, 'impact' is primarily a noun. Use 'affect' instead. Both are useful and effective, as we see here.

"The rising price of steel is affecting our bottom line."

"Rising steel costs are having a huge impact on our profitability."

How often have you fired off a message that says, “Send me what you have on [product X].”? Do you really want—and can you use—all that information? And do you want your employees spending valuable time researching all known facts and figures?

Get right to the point, and ask for just the facts you need. If all you’re interested in is sales information about a particular model during a recent promotion, ask for it. Or, perhaps you’d like an update on the marketing expenditures for that line. Or how many of each model are still in stock.

Be as specific as possible in your requests. That will minimize calls or e-mails from staffers requesting clarification. Use separate messages for each topic, and be sure to send them only to those employees who can act upon your request. You will save valuable employee time and receive more useful information in return.

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Whether communicating by the written or spoken word, it pays to analyze your audience first. This will help ensure your message is received as intended and that it achieves the goals you set.

1. Create a profile of your audience

Especially important when communicating outside your department or organization. Try to determine the size of your audience and their areas of responsibility. It’s also helpful to know of any cultural or language differences that exist.

Communicating to a larger audience usually entails a more formal style and format. Smaller groups, on the other hand, may be more comfortable with an informal approach. In either case tailor your message to their needs. Human resources managers, for example, need different information than production supervisors.

Audiences that share your expertise should understand your material with little difficulty. Those with different specialties, however, may require additional background information. While this may bore some in your audience, a worse problem is to leave others totally perplexed. Your goal is for everyone to understand your message.

Communicating to those of different cultures or languages requires special care. Minimize the use of idioms, jargon, and slang. Also, watch your hand gestures and body language. A common gesture in the United States may be offensive to someone from another country. Consult a specialist if you are concerned about how your gestures may be perceived.

2. Plan for audience’s reaction

The effect your message will have determines how you present your information. If your message is of a positive or neutral tone, you may offer your recommendations in a straight-forward manner and early in your message.

If you need to deliver bad news (plant closings, price increases, and such), provide more supporting evidence, and gradually ease into the material most likely to cause a negative reaction. Make sure your audience understands the reasons for your decisions and suggestions.

Also, anticipate the needs of decision makers and include any necessary data. This can include profit/loss figures, production quotas, utility costs, and so on.

3. Anticipate and address questions

After crafting your message, review it for any gaps that may generate questions. Find ways to incorporate the additional information in your material without detracting from your message. Follow up with an e-mail or memo as needed. A review from someone outside your depart-ment may identify particular issues or questions to address.

copyright, 2007