“I hate staring at that empty screen and that #%#^$% blinking cursor. I know exactly what I want to say, but I can’t get started.” No matter who you work for and no matter what your role may be, your job probably involves some writing. If you’ve faced times when the right words wouldn’t come, … Read more
White paper bullet points can serve many functions, but they’re often misused by people who misunderstand their roles … or who are unaware of how the conscious mind perceives them. That’s especially important in documents such as white papers intended to be viewed as a trusted source of information. Misunderstandings about bullet points in any … Read more
Do you think it’s wrong to ask questions in the headlines of your ads and other marketing materials? Years back, I 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?” I’ve encountered many people like him who … Read more
It might surprise you to learn you have an emotional response to numbers. What might surprise you even more is learning your reaction is probably rooted in ancient attempts to understand and predict the universe. Numerology is the study of the characteristics of numbers. Numerologists believe everything in the universe can be reduced to or … Read more
White paper graphic design advice is valuable not only for the professional graphic designers who are asked to design white papers, but for the people who write papers, so they can structure them in ways that cooperate with design practices. Whether you’re a graphic designer or just want to better understand how white papers should … Read more
I’d like to see more organizations put as much work into implementing their mission statements as they do in drafting them. Mission statements, vision maps, shared goals, value statements and all their frame-worthy cousins fascinate me, though I confess it’s in a cynical way. Everyone has them, but I’m not sure why. I suspect it’s … Read more
Most companies constantly seek new market segments as potential customers for their products or services. Rarely do they consider one that can be surprisingly cost-effective: those who stopped doing business with you. Focusing on the customers who used to do business with you offers a great opportunity to grow your business and can improve your … Read more
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 … Read more
Business owners and managers often suffer from a common allergy. When they review copy for a website, blog post, or newsletter and see wording they perceive as negative, they break out in hives. That could be understandable. We’ve long been urged to accentuate the positive and emphasize the good things. Mentioning something that’s negative is … Read more
Do you develop boring white papers? Nobody sets out to deliberately make their white papers dull, but that’s what happens far too often. Companies develop a white paper about an important issue in their industry, and while the white paper is factually correct, it’s even less interesting than watching paint dry. Who writes boring white … Read more