The story of your business has to contribute to your bottom line.

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the story of your businessDoes anyone know the story of your business?

Is it important, do you think? Does it impact the business of today?  Is there a relationship between your marketing and the story of your business that lies hidden in a suitcase and not contributing to your bottom line?

You were there no doubt, slogging it out, combating challenges, making mistakes and struggling financially whilst you wondered whether or not you were making the right decisions and if it was all worth it. Is the story of your business relevant to the success of your business or is your business just about the bottom line and daily inefficiencies?

In these days of relationship marketing, I would think it does matter. Developing a personal and trust worthy relationship with clients and customers involves giving a little of yourself and your story. But how much of yourself do you give without intruding into your personal and private life?

Establishing yourself as a person worthy of respect and trust might be a little easier than you think.

What is it you want your customers to know about you?

Consider what you want your customers to know about you? Perhaps it is that you are human, have struggled, that you have guts, that you are strategic, that you are visionary, can define your objectives, can clarify your thoughts and processes, can consider the wants and needs of them, the customer, can understand your products from a community perspective. The list goes on. Sounds like a resume but in fact, it is the story of the development of your business or business profile or professional life.

The story of how you developed your business, your products or your professional profile is a great narrative that illustrates all of these things. It defines who you are as a person, your attributes, skills and dreams.

People are interested in stories of people, business and products. People have an innate curiosity to know and understand which is why we all read, watch movies and ‘have a yarn’. We all love to listen to the outspoken success story of how the business developed and the challenges along the way were resolved. We want to know how things got started, how finances were managed and disappointments overcome. However, we are not all comfortable doing this; we are not all storytellers. Talking about ourselves is not something some of us do easily and  it does take a certain amount of an extrovert’s charm.

Put the story of your business in a beautiful book

Putting this story in a beautiful hard cover coffee table book and keeping it visible to customers is a much easier strategy to elevate the profile of your business discreetly and professionally. You may consider a soft cover book that can be distributed to customers an excellent marketing option and one that will reap extensive rewards. Incorporate your branding and utilise your products strategically to educate and inform your customers on how you are all about them and always have been.

It is a great idea to add imagery such as photographs illustrating different times, events and people. Photographs can tell a thousand words but they can also raise a lot of questions or leave gaps in the story which need to be told and expanded upon. Combining story, written text and photographs is a powerful strategy that will enhance your professional relationships and your customer’s trust and loyalty to your business.

The story of your business, your products or your professional development is as important as your resume – if you don’t talk about it, no-one will know. You might as well keep the suitcase closed.

Get the story of your business into print today.

Contact today to get the story in print

Contact The Writing Shed today 0407 487 495 to get the story of your business into print.

Read our other website on writing your journey www.writemyjourney.com

 

If you don’t want your perspective on addiction challenged, don’t read any further.

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Addiction

We are all addicted to something.
 Some are prettier than others.

A challenge to your perspective on addiction can be uncomfortable. After all, you and I know where we sit!

Society has a way of dealing with addicts that draws a very thick line in the sand between them and us. We label them as hopeless appendages to society and stigmatise them with shame, selfishness and weak mindedness.  Drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, mobile phones, social media – wait – everyone has mobile phones and engaged in social media. How else can you be noticed and have so many friends?

Johann Hari[i] in his talk to a TED[ii] audience in London challenges society’s perspective on addiction.  The world has never been so connected as it presently is with such great technology enabling multi-media and telecommunications instantly. Yet, the evidence is mounting that we are one of the most socially disconnected generations. Friends are counted as a number on social media, and communication amounts to comments in a small box or the easy tick of the ‘like’ box.

Of course that is not addiction – that is being social as everyone knows. Right?

Are you sure about that?

How many times have you seen families at a restaurant and all busy on their mobile phones rather than seizing the moment of opportunity and chatting? How many relationship difficulties have you heard of that identify mobile phone use as the problem?

Addiction is touching all of us in some way.

Some addictions are more socially acceptable than others, and some are more destructive than others, but all are compulsive disorders of our personality that we fail to control.

American research[iii] published in 2012 found that people’s biggest self-control failures related to media and work and not alcohol and tobacco. Social media addiction is real and when a basic fabric of society such as communication is disrupted, there is a dislocation of basic human needs as in line with Maslow’s Hierarchy[iv]. The Australian Gambling Research Centre[v] found a relationship between family communication, addiction and mental health and went further to say that gambling develops as an escape or an effort to seek that feeling of ‘control’.

Hari feels that disconnection in society is a major driver for persons with addiction issues. Dislocating ourselves from society, our families and cultural norms is a powerful force in forming an addiction to a certain product especially when there may be personality and gene factors already present in our DNA[vi].

It is difficult for families to live with an addicted person. Many families disintegrate and the rippling effect on the extended family is dramatic and sometimes catastrophic. Loving and supporting an addict is beyond the boundaries of unconditional love as multiple rehabilitation failures accumulate.

A new approach to addiction

A new approach to addiction and rehabilitation seems to be on the horizon. Hari says we should be investing more into supporting addictive persons to rehabilitate back into society.  He feels that the present society approach further cuts addicts off from any reasonable success with rehabilitation. It may be more useful to concentrate on building basic connections within society and reconnecting addicts back into their life, employment and social connections.

Whatever your view, Hari’s talk on Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong is conversation provoking.

[i] TED. Hari J. Bio http://www.ted.com/speakers/johann_hari

 

[ii] TED. Hari J. Everything you think you know about addition is wrong. June 2015.   http://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong/transcript?language=en

 

[iii] Psychological Science, Hofman, W., Vohs K., Baumeister R. What People Desire, Feel Conflicted About, and Try to Resist in Everyday Life. June 2012; vol. 23, 6: pp. 582-588., first published on April 30, 2012. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction

 

[iv] Mcleod S. 2007. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

 

[v] Australian Institute of Family Studies. Australian Gambling Research Centre. https://aifs.gov.au/projects/australian-gambling-research-centre

 

[vi] Alexander, Bruce K.  Globalization of Addiction  http://www.brucekalexander.com/

 

Grandparents and the addicted adult child

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Twenty-two thousand primary care givers in Australia are grandparents. Why? Drug and alcohol related problems, relationship breakdowns, mental or physical illness[i] problems related to an addicted adult child are having a dynamic effect on aging parents who refuse to free themselves of family responsibilities for different reasons.

adult addicted child

It is not so easy for some parents to free themselves – after all, your child is your child

As with all things, there are degrees of drug and alcohol related problems and mental health illness and not all offenders are bad parents or become involved in the legal process. For many, their life is a roll-a-coaster and they do have periods of non-addiction and stable mental health where they are excellent parents and role models.

However, their life is a struggle and this means there are many grandparents managing issues within the family in order to maintain a balanced home environment for the grandchildren. Grandparents are doing this unselfishly and tirelessly with the same commitment they exercised towards their own child who is now the offending parent.

A golden retirement is not for these seniors as they struggle with the issues around freeing themselves of their adult children. It is no longer about unconditional love but it is about choice. Choice definitely is a factor and it is a possibility to cease all contact with the offender as many well-meaning friends will recommend.  The parents could then continue with their lives preserving both their bank balance and sanity. Many parents do make this choice and that is the right decision for them.

However, for others, this is not an alternative. For these parents, the fact is their child will always be their child. They love their addicted adult  child and they know that if they let go, there will be a decline into a dark world of homelessness, isolation and perhaps even death and this they cannot accept.  It is about hope, and to lose hope is the gravest hardship that many cannot contemplate.

Understanding the extended world of an addicted adult child

Understanding the world of these grandparents is difficult. For many facing the issues around addiction and mental health is something that has never entered their domain. They watch as other family members who do not agree with their decisions pull away and so the family becomes further disconnected. For some perhaps they grapple with such questions as ‘why, what did I do wrong’ or ‘is it my fault’? They cringe as well-meaning friends who have no experience or understanding tell them what they should be doing.

Many cloak themselves with a shroud of secrecy and shame as they try to manage not only the behaviours of the addictive person and the protection of the grandchildren, but also the attitudes of society.

The extended effects of addiction and mental health on families has been called Secondhand Drinking and Secondhand Drugging (SHD)[ii] and likened to the second-hand smoke campaign where others become affected by a person’s addictions and habits. It is an area that has not captured a great deal of research but is beginning to be acknowledged by some Australian bodies. The Australian Drug Foundation has some excellent fact sheets available such as Support Children; a guide for Grandparents[iii]  and the Family Drug Support Australia has some very helpful supports including a support line. A Letter to Family and Friends[iv] says many things that perhaps families in this position cannot and outlines some sensitive issues and attitudes that never get voiced.

Addiction and mental health are complex issues and if there was a simple solution, much would have been resolved by now. Offering ultimatums such as ‘stay clean or get out’ probably do more harm than good as perhaps an expectation of complete abstinence does.

Harm minimisation

The current theory on rehabilitating addictions is known as harm minimisation. Harm minimisation is a perspective of working with people to think critically about their lifestyle and habits, the benefits and the potential and actual harm that is being done. It is about change, slowly and methodically. It is also about removing addiction from the disease model of no-hope to a place of support and partnership where trust and respect is earned and unconditional love does not exist.   

The statistics regarding drug and alcohol use in Australia are quite staggering. The Australian Drug Foundation[v] provides detailed statistics and whilst it is refreshing to know that 49% of drinkers have reduced their alcohol intake in an effort to improve their health, the infrequent use of ecstasy and cocaine is still fair too high for a society that supports a culture of child-raising and families.

Parents with an addicted adult child and family face a difficult and complex life stuck between dilemmas and hard rocks. The road is long and at times, unyielding.

adult addicted child

Long and unyielding road for those with an adult addicted child

The one shining light must be the beautiful grandchildren they shelter and support.

 

References

[i] Australian Drug Foundation. Supporting children: a guide for grandparents. Accessed on line www.druginfo.adf.org.au

Druginfo.adf.org.

[ii] Frederiks L. Breaking the Cycles.com. Changing the Conversations.  Secondhand Drinking / Secondhand Drugging (SHD). Accessed on line http://www.breakingthecycles.com/blog/2011/02/15/secondhand-drinkingdrugging-shdd/

[iii] Australian Drug Foundation. http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/attachments/article/1101/Supporting_children_factsheet_260615.pdf

[iv] Family Drug Support Australia. Letter to Family and Friends. http://www.fds.org.au/letter-to-family-and-friends.  Accessed online.

[v][v] Australian Drug Foundation. Statistical trends. Accessed online. www.druginfo.adf.org/topics/statistics-trends

 

How to write blogs is easier than you think

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How to write blogs isn’t as hard as you might think. The hard part is keeping it simple and uncomplicated. Web readers’ scan and they want their information served to them on a clean plate with no distractions or choices. So, ‘how to write blogs’ starts with you, the writer. Know two things – your readers and your topic.

How to write blogs for your readers

  • Know who your readers are, their age group, what they want to know and maybe, why they want to know it.

This background information will allow you to give them exactly what they want, in the voice and tone they want and the depth they are looking for. In other words, target your audience and speak to them as if they are standing right in front of you. Use language and jargon they will understand and become engaged with – after all, you want them to regard you as the authority in your industry.

How to write blogs with your topic

  • Identify a topic that will be of genuine interest to your reader. Your readers may want to know the basics of your chosen topic or they may be searching for an understanding of a complication within your topic. This is why it is important to target your reader and write to them.
  • Brainstorm your topic and identify just one or two concepts within your topic that you can write about in your blog.
  • When writing your blog, you don’t always need to start at the beginning or opening paragraph. Sometimes if you have writer’s block, write about what is comfortable to you and put it in dot points for easy understanding – remember just one or two concepts.
  • Organise this content so it takes your reader on a journey and they can take your information and apply it to their situation. Remember: uncomplicated, simple and concise content delivers a clear message on your topic.
  • Then go back to your beginning and write an introduction. You need to capture your readers’ attention so perhaps avoid any attempt at bad comedy or poor taste. Tell your reader in two sentences what you are blogging about and why they should read to the end.
  • Now go to the end and bring your topic together in a neat bundle of information that confirms and consolidates the information you are sharing.
  • Nearly forgot, the title. Yes, those things that will capture your readers attention and make them commence reading your blog. Some simple (but safe) titles are ‘How to…’ ,  ‘3 things you need to know about…’, ‘A simple survey to check your …’.   People love to be engaged, so indulge them.
  • Sorry, one more thing. Formatting. Consistency and simplicity again is the key. One typeface, lots of white space and no blocks of bold or italic

 So now you know how to write blogs

how to write blogs

How to write blogs

So, now you know how to write blogs, have a go. It won’t do itself. Start simple and enjoy – enjoyment is contagious. Otherwise, give The Writing Shed a ring or contact via email. M: 0407487495 E: info@thewritingshed.com.au Catch us on Twitter https://twitter.com/writingshedaus

Bad blog converts to great blog

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A bad blog is boring – let’s face it. A bad blog post loses readers within seconds. A great catchy title will motivate readers to click on that post, but if you don’t deliver – they will be annoyed. A bad blog may equate to a bad business in your

A bad blog feels like this to a reader

A bad blog probably feels like this to a reader – prickly

reader’s eyes, after all it is about offering quality products and customer satisfaction.

Bad blog and great blog

Here are some ways to get a bad blog and then my tips on making a great blog.

1. Visual appeal is zero. Blocks of tight text with small font or even worse a decorative fussy typeface that belongs on a Christmas card are a great start to turning your reader off. Recently I had almost decided to contact a graphic designer to do some work for me. Luckily their newsletter arrived in my Inbox and I quickly changed my mind when the bold no-paragraph content caused my eyes to squint and water. Why waste room on white space I could hear them saying.

  • Well actually, I like calming white space on my documents, it allows my mind to dwell on the well-written content and beautifully presented words.

2. No logic to the content.  A bad blog reads like a three year old telling a story. It will jump around, turn back on itself, repeat information, include irrelevant information and end no-where – which is why a

three year old may then throw a tantrum because they haven’t communicated their need. But of course, you are a business and you can’t throw a tantrum at your potential customers.

  • Organise your content and thoughts by simple brainstorming. Write your outline with enough detail that your written blog will be cohesive and logical and take your reader from your clever title through relevant information and to a conclusion. There. Bet you are feeling better already.

3. Absolutely pointless. Ever persevere with a blog because you desperately want the information that the title suggested could be in this bad blog? A bad blog never gives readers a clear take-away – after all, your knowledge is golden and that is what makes you the expert in the field. If you educated everyone in your subject matter, what sort of business would you have.

  • Educating customers through blogs actually will create more loyal long-term customers that will look to you as the leading expert in the field. Sometimes you need to give before you receive.
  • Know what it is you want your readers to know when they finish reading your blog. See if you can group these points together and give them a heading. With two to four of these group points depending on the length of your blog, you will have your paragraphs.
  • Ensure each paragraph logically follows its preceding paragraph so your information builds and flows. An easy way to do this is to end each paragraph with the first words of the next paragraph.
  • Finish off where you started – recap your title information and opening information so your reader knows you have taken them on a journey and fulfilled your promise.

4.  Don’t edit your bad blog. Why should you edit when we all know that every word that we write is gospel? Editing takes time and people will sort it out themselves. Wrong. People will judge your business and your products by your attention to detail and care you take with your blog – right or wrong, that is how it will be. A bad blog will say much more than you want it to say, so take time.

  • Put your blog away for as long as possible – overnight is good.
  • Print it out and read it aloud – quickly.
  • Take a red pen and instinctively cross out anything that doesn’t make sense, isn’t true, not logical or uses too many words to get to the point.
  • Get a ruler and go through each word looking for poor grammar, spelling errors or incorrect punctuation.
  • Go back to your blog and make your corrections. If it was too bad, throw it out and write it all again. Many great writers do this automatically – and guess what, the second write is always better than the first.

5. Obviously no final check done. You have already spent more time than you have on this bad blog so no need to do a final check for formatting, visual appearance, links working and obvious issues.  Wrong again.

  • Always check and then check again that your formatting hasn’t moved, there is plenty of white space to allow your reader to see your messages clearly.
  • Read your blog again to ensure your words are consistent throughout, your argument is logical and you actually deliver what you set out to achieve.
  • Check your hyperlinks, images and anything else you inserted in your blog.

Bad blog no more

Finally, maybe your bad blog post is no more. Maybe your blog is now worthy of its readers. It may even convince your readers enough to make them pick up the phone or email you (if you have left those details on every page)

One last word – don’t forget to get your great blog out there on social media. No point having a great blog if no-one reads it.

Keep an eye on my Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thewritingshed.  Hopefully not  a bad blog in sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resume Tips

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Resume Tips and Strong Words

A common weakness I find when customers ask me ‘to make their resume strong’ is the words. Words are powerful and you need to get over your humbleness and sell yourself with powerful words.

resume tips

Unlock your resume block

Some simple resume tips:

  • Delete all weak words or phrases e.g. ‘interpersonal skills’ or ‘increased sales’. It’s better to use power words and show what your interpersonal skills have achieved in the workforce or how you increased sales and added to the productivity of your company. This adds context and is telling those culling that you actually know what you do and they need to get you into an interview.
  • Don’t use excess words – put a lid on it. Every word has to add value to your resume so make them all work.
  • Don’t repeat the same thing using different words. Your words are taking up space and your prospective employer will get the message with fewer stronger words.
  • Highlight specific skills and make them relevant to the job you are applying for.
  • Dot points are great. Put your strong words first to make them stand out.
  • Use a business font and one font only.
  • Don’t bury key information in the hope it will get spotted.
  • Don’t bother telling your potential employer what a nice person and how hard working you are – they want you for your skills and experience and what value you can add to their business. They will work the rest out in your interview or your reference checks. To me this says you really aren’t comfortable with your skills.

What your future employer wants

What your future employer wants to see is that you can achieve results, transfer your skills and can work with other staff members, both above your position and below it. It will help if you find out as much about your future company as possible. Google them and spend some time researching online, including their own website. The ‘About Us’ page is usually very insightful of the culture of the organisation and it’s members. If the Company name is not mentioned in the advertisement, quickly ring the recruitment agent and ask. Mostly they will tell you or give you a pretty good indication. Take care with jargon. Jargon can be tricky. On one hand it shows you understand the industry but on the other hand jargon quickly becomes redundant and can be seen as a cover-up for lack of in-depth knowledge. A clever alternative is to use words that concisely explain the point you want to make and adds further context. Some other helpful resume tips

How to brief a content writer

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Brief a content writer inefficiently and no-one will be happy

Brief a content writer

Brief a content writer

So … You want The Writing Shed to do some content writing for you but you are unsure how to proceed with directives.

How to brief a content writer is simple – once you know how.

  • You will need to supply us with as much information on your product as is available. This may be in the form of product information, information you already have used or printed, information your customers get and information your sales people use. If possible, we do prefer to sit in a meeting with you or your sales people and write. We do find that sometimes this is the best way to drill down to deep information that perhaps you may not have considered before. We need to understand your product and your service – otherwise your readers won’t be able to understand it either.
  • Know who your target group is. Know as much about the population you want to target as is available – how do they perceive your product, what difference does your product make to them, their locality, their socio-economical status and importantly, the age group of your target group. This does matter.
  • What is it you want to achieve with your content? Do you want to just educate or inform them on your product and services or are you wanting to be ‘salesy’ with your pitch.
  • Who is your competitor and what is their sales pitch? How are your services different to your competitor? In other words, what is your point of difference?
  • What voice would you like us to use? This also relates to the age group of your target audience and the purpose of your written content. If you want us to do a blog, we might perhaps be more chatty than if we were writing up your Policy and Procedures and different again if we were writing your webcopy.
  • It is a good idea to have an idea of your budget. Some things cost more than others, so best to get this out of the way so we can get the job done for you.
  • A bad idea is to decide to brief a content writer at the eleventh hour your project is due in your In Box – and believe me, it does happen. Content writers aren’t mind readers, if you haven’t told us, we assume it doesn’t exist.

What happens then

After our talk, we will retreat to our Shed and come up with the goods. We will send you a Draft 1 for comment and a further phone meeting before the final sign off. Easy all done.

Contact us to discuss your project. Chatter is free.

Call us or sent an email and we will call you. We are in the pretty Sutherland Shire of Sydney but work across all States. If possible we can visit or we can discuss via phone. Content Writing – articles for publication, blogs, webcopy, policy and procedures, business letters.

M: 0407487495

E: info@thewritingshed.com.au

You may find this information interesting as well. Content Writing – Essential for Business

Brief a content writer efficiently and all will be happy.

A Newsletter is a frontline strategy in your business communication

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“Do people read your email newsletter”

I asked an executive I met recently this question. “Certainly do”, he replied. “I had 3 complaint emails from clients last month; each telling me there was a spelling mistake ‘centre stage’ in my newsletter.”

After a long discussion on the newsletter being a frontline strategy in business communications, I agreed to proofread his newsletter ‘with compliments’.

The executive was not happy when I presented him with my assessment. Issues went from his opening address of “Dear        “ (no-one obviously), to complete lack of logic and flow, incomplete advertising information, inconsistent font, cramped text and so on. I did eventually find his key messages buried deep within the text of his three pages and I felt lucky. [Read more…]

Email Research – overkill or an essential communication strategy

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Email research says proofread your emails

The Email Research-scary statistics

The majority of email senders and email receivers believe that their email information is interpreted correctly.  In fact, only half of emails received are interpreted correctly and half of email recipients have a lot of  trouble interpreting emotion in emails[i].

There is a suggestion that this overconfidence in emails links to a difficulty  detaching oneself from your own environment. This theory is supported by the rapid emergence of social media where the communication is fast, “off the cuff” and not always thoughtful. Furthermore, three quarters of email is opened within 6 seconds of its arrival in the Inbox and there is a significant  recovery time for the worker to return to their previous task because the email task is prioritised over the planned task[ii] [Read more…]

Content writing errors

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Content writing for business

Yes great content writing

Common content writing errors in business documentation.

Content writing is the coalface of your business and online presence. There are some errors in content writing that keep presenting themselves. It is useful to keep reminding ourselves of these – after all it makes good writing sense. [Read more…]