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Member You - How to Grab Your Reader's Attention and Hold It
Most people have at least one favorite quotation from a famous or not-so-famous person. Some people collect them like baseball cards, figurines or classic cars. You can find hundreds of websites featuring quotations, thousands of sites with a favorite quotes page, and many collections in any bookstore you walk into. All of this proves that quotations are popular. What may be less evident to you is exactly how you can use them to improve you life and your results.Below is a list of eleven ways you can do just that!Use when journaling. My Grandmother kept a diary, and so does my mother. Fewer people call them diaries now, and more call them journals. It really doesn’t matter what you call them. If you spend time writing each day, you can use a quotation to relate to your activities for the day, record what you have been thinking about, or to help you with your writing in general.Share at work. You can use quotations whether you are the boss or anyone on the team. Post a new quote on your door, on the bulletin board in the co
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to
Criminal defense careers offer several exciting and rewarding positions in both public and private sectors. Employment options in any legal organization would depend upon the size of the firm, specialization, and expertise. Criminal defense lawyer or attorney can specialize in areas such as DUI, DWI, disorderly conduct, kidnapping, domestic violence, weapon crimes, felonies, murder, parole violations, arrest warrants, bail hearings, or summonses. However, a great deal of trial experience is required for any criminal defense lawyer. Most of the criminal defense lawyers work for prosecutor?s or public defender?s office.The attorneys can specialize in white collar criminal defense. Most of the large law firms consist of a white-collar criminal defense division. They can also work as solo practitioners. White collar criminal defense lawyers provide legal representation for corporate clients against regulatory boards such as the Securities and Exchange Commission or against the corporate crime division of the U.S. attorney's office. Besides cr
I think he has our attention. Would you read the next paragraph? That's how Ronald Hugh Morrieson begins his New Zealand novel Scarecrow.
You're quite right of course, we can't go making up stories about people having their throats cut just to improve our business letters. But we can copy the technique. Morrieson's opening line is short, direct and engaging. Ours should be too.
Most business letters don't grab attention.They encourage us to scan the whole letter in search of something to persuade us it's worth the effort.
We are arranging a seminar at our premises on July 26 at 5.30pm for the purpose of explaining what the changes to the tax depreciation policy announced by Government recently will mean for our major customers.
Eyes glazing over? How about this instead?
Good news.
You may have less tax to pay next year. The Government's announcement on depreciation will help most companies like yours, some considerably, some only slightly.
Would you like to hear more?
You can go on to give the details of where and when. They key difference is in the way we attract the reader's attention. In the first draft we try to cram it all in. In the second we begin with a short statement and feed the reader more information when she is ready for it. Notice that we have used you and yours to make it more audience-centred.
Most writers begin with formal clich?s.
Further to our telephone conversation of March 12, we advise that...
In reply to your letter of 17 May, my specific interest is in...
I refer to our correspondence at the end of August and...
Break out. Forget the clich?s and the rules that say you must start in a formal way. There are no rules, only conventions, and they get in the way of effective communication. Imagine you are having a business conversation with the reader. Suddenly it's much easier to write openings that are short, direct and engaging.
Thanks for your proposal. We accept.
Thanks for your letter on Friday. I agree. We will have to do something about the scaffolding.
Thanks for letting me know how well the study programme is working out for you.
It was good to hear from you on Wednesday. I was especially interested in your comments about John's success this year.
Thanks for the demonstration last week. It is certainly an impressive machine and we would like to know more.
I thought you might appreciate a written record of our discussion on Tuesday.
Your fax came as a complete surprise.
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to t
When an individual takes out a home insurance policy, he or she will usually think that they are wasting their money. Most home insurance policies are only taken out of habit and that niggling doubt at the back of the mind that if home insurance is left to lapse then something will almost certainly happen. The course of life is never smooth and things will go wrong, but at least with home insurance you can make a claim. Homeowners insurance claims, however, are nowhere near as straightforward as they sound and so this is your guide to making a claim.The first thing you should do when taking out home insurance is to make a home inventory. A home inventory is essentially a list detailing all of your belongings. Whilst this may sound like a hassle to compile, it can be a vital aid if your house is destroyed in a flood or a fire, or even if it is burgled. It is the only sure fire way to keep track of what you own. An inventory should be kept up to date at all times so that you are prepared for the worst from the start. A list with all of the necessar
Eyes glazing over? How about this instead?
Good news.
You may have less tax to pay next year. The Government's announcement on depreciation will help most companies like yours, some considerably, some only slightly.
Would you like to hear more?
You can go on to give the details of where and when. They key difference is in the way we attract the reader's attention. In the first draft we try to cram it all in. In the second we begin with a short statement and feed the reader more information when she is ready for it. Notice that we have used you and yours to make it more audience-centred.
Most writers begin with formal clich?s.
Further to our telephone conversation of March 12, we advise that...
In reply to your letter of 17 May, my specific interest is in...
I refer to our correspondence at the end of August and...
Break out. Forget the clich?s and the rules that say you must start in a formal way. There are no rules, only conventions, and they get in the way of effective communication. Imagine you are having a business conversation with the reader. Suddenly it's much easier to write openings that are short, direct and engaging.
Thanks for your proposal. We accept.
Thanks for your letter on Friday. I agree. We will have to do something about the scaffolding.
Thanks for letting me know how well the study programme is working out for you.
It was good to hear from you on Wednesday. I was especially interested in your comments about John's success this year.
Thanks for the demonstration last week. It is certainly an impressive machine and we would like to know more.
I thought you might appreciate a written record of our discussion on Tuesday.
Your fax came as a complete surprise.
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to
Settlement (also referred to as closing) is a critical part of the home buying process.During settlement, ownership of the home gets transferred from the seller to the buyer. This involves a lot of paperwork, a lot of signatures, and usually a lot of questions.As a home buyer, you can prepare for settlement by understanding what you need to do before the actual day of settlement. This will make the entire home buying process smoother and less stressful.Some of the items on this list may seem obvious, but I've included them anyway to make the list as complete as possible. Keep in mind that settlement laws and requirements may vary from state to state.Pre-Settlement Checklist:
Loan Approval - This is first and foremost, because you can't proceed toward settlement / closing until you get approved for the loan. Once you're approved for the loan, the settlement process is in motion.Truth-in-Lending Statement - Shortly after applying for the loan (usually within three bus
Most writers begin with formal clich?s.
Further to our telephone conversation of March 12, we advise that...
In reply to your letter of 17 May, my specific interest is in...
I refer to our correspondence at the end of August and...
Break out. Forget the clich?s and the rules that say you must start in a formal way. There are no rules, only conventions, and they get in the way of effective communication. Imagine you are having a business conversation with the reader. Suddenly it's much easier to write openings that are short, direct and engaging.
Thanks for your proposal. We accept.
Thanks for your letter on Friday. I agree. We will have to do something about the scaffolding.
Thanks for letting me know how well the study programme is working out for you.
It was good to hear from you on Wednesday. I was especially interested in your comments about John's success this year.
Thanks for the demonstration last week. It is certainly an impressive machine and we would like to know more.
I thought you might appreciate a written record of our discussion on Tuesday.
Your fax came as a complete surprise.
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to
I have done my penance in the advertising industry. You might even call me an “ad-man.” I have engaged advertising’s rude and unwanted impressions. I have penetrated the unaware with my client’s messages. Oh, yes, I have been apart of the creation and distribution of junk mail and newspaper inserts. I have sold obnoxiously intrusive radio spots to car dealers. I have seen the glory of toll free numbers on television infomercials. However, never in my most effective advertising moments have I subjected human beings to the equivalent of the unbridled invasion of SPAM!It was 1937, in the sleepy town of Austin, Minnesota, when the Hormel Company introduced a new product. Two years prior, beer began to be distributed in cans. The Hormel family looked around and said, “If beer can, ham can” (Or something to that effect). And the concept of canned spiced ham was born. They ran a contest in search of a name for their new product. The winner combined the “sp” from “spiced” and the “am” from “ham” and the rest, as they say, is history.Nearly for
Thanks for your proposal. We accept.
Thanks for your letter on Friday. I agree. We will have to do something about the scaffolding.
Thanks for letting me know how well the study programme is working out for you.
It was good to hear from you on Wednesday. I was especially interested in your comments about John's success this year.
Thanks for the demonstration last week. It is certainly an impressive machine and we would like to know more.
I thought you might appreciate a written record of our discussion on Tuesday.
Your fax came as a complete surprise.
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to
One of the easiest ways to increase business quickly is through referrals. Unfortunately for most business owners and salespeople, this is something they struggle with everyday. What if it was made easy? How much would your business increase if you were provided one referral from every existing client? Even better, what if they made a quality introduction for you to a new potential client?The difference between a referral and a quality introduction is simple. A referral is a lead passed on from a client that he thinks you should meet, typically including the individual’s name and number. However, this ends up being a glorified “cold call” most of the time. A quality introduction, on the other hand, is a completely different situation. This is an introduction by your client where he provides information about how you met, why he uses your products or services, and most importantly how you helped him solve a problem or get results.Now that the difference between a referral and a quality introduction has been established, we need to eliminate
If you are initiating the contact get straight to the point, but keep it conversational.
I'll make this brief, but it's important. Did you know that five of our branch managers are away this week with stress-related illnesses?
I have been thinking about your comments on Thursday. You were right, and we must take action
immediately.
We are going to help you make more money this year - even if you don't do business with us.
I have some disappointing news for you.
We hope you can join us for a celebration.
What I am about to say will surprise you.
I'd like to talk frankly with you.
HOLD THEIR ATTENTION
Ever been stuck with the party bore? Ever wondered what makes them so boring, and you so conscious of the time, your backache and your struggle to maintain focus?
The party bore is generally self-absorbed. An interesting guest is interested in other people too, including us, and quickly develops a rapport. The party bore is usually obsessed with facts. The interesting guest is genuinely interested in feelings, impressions and opinions, yours as much as hers. The party bore drones. The interesting guest offers us a variety of pace and topic. She keeps coming up with surprises. We can be interesting guests in our business letters and presentations too.
BUILD RAPPORT
Nothing builds rapport as effectively as the Golden Rule of all Communication - be audience-centred. Never lose sight of the reader's interests, needs and motivation.
Don't tell your readers or audience what they already know. Here's an important rapport-building principle:
Acknowledging shared understanding builds rapport.
Telling people what they know erodes it.
Let's take an example. You could use that expression Please find enclosed our brochure. But the reader knows the brochure is there. It's bigger than your letter and probably fell out of the envelope on to the desk. Please find enclosed... says you don't know that your reader has already found it. A rapport-building alternative would be, You'll see the high performance model on page six of the brochure. You are saying in effect, I know you have found the brochure and I remember that you were particularly interested in the high performance model. You are acknowledging a shared understanding.
By the same reasoning, you can build rapport by leaving out some details. Usually you don't need to say Thank you for your letter of March 17, outlining the problems you have had with our service department between February 14 and 28. You could say Thank you for your letter. I have been looking into the problems you have had with the service department and.... In effect you are saying, We both remember what the letter was about.
Yes, but what if they don't remember what the letter is about?
It's simple. If you really think it's an issue, add Ref: Letter March 17 on the right, above your text. It's formal, but it gets the record keeping out of the way so that you can concentrate on talking to your reader on paper.
Many people worry that if they don't say Please find enclosed and they forget to put the brochure in the reader won't know to ring them and ask for it. If you refer to your brochure in the letter your reader will know, but you can alway
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