The Cuckleburr Times » Scott Flood

Effective Writing – Exorcise Your Grammar Demons

Scott Flood — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:48:59 +0000

If I could scrape up some spare time, I think I’d tackle a screenplay for a horror movie. My movie would feature an entity more terrifying than a chainsaw-wielding maniac. More dreadful than the living dead. More heart-stopping than a fire-breathing demon.

It would be an English teacher.

Okay, hold on. I really, really like English teachers. They are truly dedicated people whose bravery eclipses mine. Anyone who can interest seventh-graders in the poetry of e.e. cummings or bring Shakespeare to life for sophomores is genuinely inspiring.

But after dealing with hundreds of clients over the years, I’m convinced that what English teachers inspire more than anything else is sheer terror. I’ve reached that conclusion after watching the way people react to grammatical issues.

Sometimes, I see it when they are struggling with something they’ve written, wondering whether this phrase or that one is grammatically correct. At other times, it becomes apparent in their reaction to something I’ve written on their behalf. (“He started a sentence with a conjunction – doesn’t he know you can’t do that?”)

Once the discussion moves beyond opening arguments to testimony, they invariably cite the same source as the basis for their contention. “Well, when I had Mrs. Jones, she said …” “Now, Mr. Smith told us we should never use …” “If I turned in a paper with that sentence to Miss McGillicuddy …” And when I gently suggest that the English teacher who towers over their subconscious might be wrong in this instance, panic flickers in their eyes. It’s as if I’ve suggested that the North Pole is uninhabited.

How could that be? They wrote hundreds of themes in grade school, essays in high school and term papers in college, and those rules applied every single time. Don’t use contractions. You should never use the second person. Or fragments. And absolutely no sentences that begin with conjunctions.

Their teachers were absolutely right. When one is creating sentences and paragraphs for a formal document within an academic setting, it is critical to employ proper form, syntax and mechanics to ensure a favorable evaluation. Such are the rules of the academic world.

But once you’ve left the confines of school and find yourself communicating in a persuasive manner to prospects, customers, co-workers, and anyone else who falls under that “stakeholder” umbrella, grammar takes a backseat to something far more important. Whether you want to tell, sell, convince, entertain, emphasize, or even infuriate, you must connect with the reader and ensure that your message is clearly understood.

The most effective way to do that is to be individual and personal, and that calls for a conversational style. Conversation is far more informal than the academic writing style. When we speak, most of us don’t use textbook grammar. We start sentences with conjunctions, we end them with prepositions. We even use fragments. Those whose spoken grammar is letter-perfect come across as tedious snobs (think of TV’s Frasier).

Grammar is not a rigid set of rules. It’s a framework of structure and standards that varies by the type of writing and the audience – just as different types of buildings demand different degrees of engineering. It’s also important to remember that grammar isn’t timeless. If it were, we’d all write and speak in the style of the King James Version. Some rules that were considered inviolate just thirty years ago have already faded away.

When you write something other than a term paper, write to communicate. Don’t agonize over the grammatical correctness of your work. Match it to the situation and the audience. A memo about the company picnic doesn’t need to be as formal as a white paper directed to college professors. Focus on conveying the message, not on achieving grammatical perfection.

And don’t be afraid that your English teacher will come after you. If what you create is truly communicative and accomplishes the goal, he or she would actually be very proud.

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sfwriting.com, or read his blog at http://sfwriting.com/wordpress/

Writing Ads and Brochures – Are Questions Inherently Bad?

Scott Flood — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:01:22 +0000

Do you think it’s wrong to ask questions in the headlines of your ads and other marketing materials? I once had a boss who loathed questions. Bring him an ad headline with a question, and he’d reject it instantly, sputtering, “But what if the reader says no?”

Many others believe that using questions in marketing materials is a sure-fire recipe for failure. While I don’t subscribe to hard-and-fast rules, I’ll tell you that those people are nearly always wrong. A reader who responds “no” really isn’t a prospect, and therefore isn’t worth your time or trouble. Not everyone who sees your ad or reads your brochure is going to do business with you, and the most decisively declarative headline won’t change that.

But there’s an even more important reason to reject the idea that questions are inherently flawed. Questions prompt involvement, and involvement is the most effective way to get someone to pay attention. Do you prefer steak or chicken? You may not care about that question, and you may wonder about my sanity in introducing it here, but you know what? You answered it. As soon as you saw it, you answered it mentally – and you continued to read out of curiosity as to why I’d ask such a question or how it might be germane.

Are your investments performing as well as they should? Gotcha again. I have no intention of talking about your investments, but I’ve introduced a little wiggle of doubt that your mind can’t ignore. Right now, your mind is wondering whether you made the right choice in going heavy into the financial services sector. Questions provoke immediate mental responses that are more honest and pure than verbal or written responses. You don’t have to share mental responses, but when you provide a verbal or written response, you’ll craft it to make sure it isn’t going to embarrass you or sound awkward.

Questions are almost impossible to ignore. That’s why polls are so appealing. When you see poll data in the media, you glance at the possible answers, and your mind locks in your choice. Questions are most effective when the potential response falls into one of two classes. The first is when you have a clear reply and course of action to follow. That’s the “steak or chicken” question.

The second is when you intend to provoke doubt and insecurity. Here’s where questions are at their most effective. Asking whether your investments are performing as well as they should doesn’t imply that they aren’t – but that’s how your mind reads it. A financial planner who asks that type of question opens the way for a very client-oriented sales pitch. A dentist who wonders whether you’re happy with the appearance of your teeth is letting you set yourself up for additional services – and doing it without giving you a sales pitch.

So should you be asking more questions in your headlines and marketing materials?

Experience and Nonsense – Good Writing Sounds Like People Talking

Scott Flood — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:52:39 +0000

The other day, I had a Convenience Store Experience.

I didn’t start the day with the goal of having a Convenience Store Experience. In fact, I didn’t even know that such a thing existed.

But as I pumped liquid gold into my car, the too-loud oldies music on the PA system stopped. A perky recorded voice proudly informed me that her employer was dedicated to ensuring that I have not just a Convenience Store Experience, but an Extraordinary Convenience Store Experience.

I was awed. Here I thought I was only making a quick visit to stop that flashing red light on my gas gauge, but I was actually getting Experienced. Jimi Hendrix would be proud.

I’ll bet that you didn’t realize your life was full of Convenience Store Experiences, either. And you wouldn’t be able to say that if not for a conference room table and a group of Very Smart Executives who surrounded it one day.

“We want to help our customers achieve a higher level of Convenience Store Satisfaction every time they visit.”

“I think you’re right, J.B., but I think there’s more to it than just a visit.”

“How so?”

“A visit suggests that they’re just stopping by to buy something. We want that visit to be an event. We want them to walk in and be astounded by the smiling people behind the counter. We want them to cheer when they notice that beautiful kiosk with five kinds of fresh-ground Arabica coffee brewing. We want them to see how easily they can acquire gasoline, pour a cappuccino, and find their favorite dried sausage meats all in one place. Going to purchase forty dollars of super unleaded will become a theatrical production. We want it to be an …”

“An extravaganza!”

“No, that’s not quite it. I’m thinking more of an ..”

“An experience!”

“By God, that’s it exactly! It’s not just a trip to the gas station – it’s a Convenience Store Experience! Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we’ve accomplished what we set out to do today. Anyone want to join me for a couple single-malts to celebrate?”

Of course, what they fail to realize is that the mere mortals who drive up to their spiffy islands and shiny pumps have never uttered the words “Convenience Store Experience.” Nor would they ever choose to use those words, even if ordered to do so at gunpoint. It’s just not natural. It’s not something ordinary human beings would say. That’s why it sounds so peculiar, and why it raised my eyebrows instead of my opinion of the store.

Unfortunately, it’s all too common. At many companies, decision-makers spend so much time listening to each other that they begin to believe their narrow, limited, and often contrived vocabulary represents common speech. The result? Impressive-sounding phrases that are really nothing more than nonsense.

Instead, they might find inspiration from one of the last century’s greatest admen, Leo Burnett. For decades, his agency created advertising that unfailingly connected with everyday people, even as it drew sneers from his presumably more sophisticated competitors. Why was Leo so effective at reaching people? A telling reason is how he spent his lunch hour.

While his competitors were busy giving their expense accounts a workout, Leo dined quietly at a lunch counter frequented by the everyday folks who bought his clients’ products. He listened to their conversations and captured the words and phrases they used. He encouraged his staff to do the same, and evaluated new ideas on how well the prospects would relate to them.

Had Leo Burnett worked on that convenience store account, it’s a safe bet that he wouldn’t have promised customers the nonsense of an Experience, extraordinary or otherwise. But he sure would have done a better job of making them feel genuinely welcome.

Grant Writing – Appeal to Both Sides of the Brain

Scott Flood — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:42:33 +0000

Developing an effective grant application requires a lot of brainwork, but not necessarily the kind that most people assume.

You’re probably familiar with the concept that the brain’s hemispheres each handle very different kinds of thinking. It’s said that the left brain is in charge of logical and analytical thought, while the right brain is more comfortable with creative and random thinking.

Anyone who has ever prepared a grant application for a nonprofit or for-profit organization would probably tell you that it’s a left-brained process. After all, there is usually a lengthy list of elements and questions that must be addressed in a specified length and a particular order. Given that “order” is one of the left brain’s favorite words, it’s no surprise that the left-brain crowd is adept at gathering all the information and putting it in its proper place.

But the people who view developing grant requests as a wholly left-brained process are missing what separates very effective and memorable grant applications from the ordinary ones.

That something is the right side of the brain. Surprised? If the right brain is the home of random thoughts, how could it possibly improve something as structured as a grant request?

The key is recognizing that there are also two sides to the way people think, and addressing both of them. To simplify, we can call them the rational and emotional, and while we’re not always conscious of it, those two levels are constantly butting heads.

The rational side may know without a doubt that our supervisor’s idea is moronic, but our emotional side is too afraid of losing our job to let us speak up. Our emotional side sees a Porsche and wants one, before the rational side steps up to remind us that it’s probably not the best way to transport three kids and a dog.

We need both sides to survive and to interact successfully with other people – and both sides are involved in every decision we make.

Consider that as you think of the person charged with reviewing all those grant requests. After the first three or four, they begin to blend into one another. Dry recitations of even drier statistics, vaporous mission statements and stilted language, and charts created right out of the word processor’s wizard. The left side of the brain has clearly been at work.

But your request has stopped the reviewer in her tracks. Her brain was waiting for yet another collection of declarative sentences about partnerships and paradigms, and you woke her emotional side with something different. Your application is talking about the problem in a way that builds empathy and concern. Your description of the solution doesn’t tell her that you can fix the problem – it lets her emotional side come to that conclusion. You’ve gained her trust, her confidence, and even her admiration. And while she gave the other reports a cursory glance, she read every word of yours. Care to guess which one she’ll remember?

Of course, you probably couldn’t write a successful grant request using just the right side of the brain. First off, you’d probably never even meet the deadline. Those brains cells behind your right eye would be whirling and whizzing with all sorts of ideas and images.

Making sure that your application balances both sides of the brain is the key to making your request stand out. Let the left brain make sure that all of the facts are gathered and properly organized – and then turn the right brain loose to add the magic that will make your message memorable and meaningful.

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. A Chicago native, Scott spent thirteen years working for advertising agencies in the Windy City and Indianapolis before he established Scott Flood Writing in 1995. To learn more, visit http://www.sfwriting.com ©2008 Scott Flood All rights reserved.