Scott's Blog - Page 54 of 63 - Scott Flood Writing

SOME PROFIT-BUILDING RASPBERRIES

November 10, 2010 by Scott Flood

Looking for ways to increase your overall sales? Maybe there’s a way to increase the size of each sale you already make. One effective technique is suggestive selling, which fast-food restaurants do exceedingly well. “You want fries with that?” “Would you like a drink with that?” They don’t do it to annoy you; they do it because it works!

But suggestive selling doesn’t have to be annoying. Handled cleverly, it can even tell customers that you really understand and care about them. I remember reading about a fine dining restaurant that dramatically improved its per-customer sales in a simple, yet effective, way.

GARBAGE IN …

November 4, 2010 by Scott Flood

Back when computers were the size of your garage, programmers often summarized a particular situation as “garbage in, garbage out.” It normally referred to either bad data or bad instructions that, when fed into a computer, led to worse results. For example, if the programmer’s client didn’t provide a precise description of the program’s objectives, the result might not be what was expected. Or, if the data being fed in was inaccurate, the results could be even worse.

The same comment applies to writing. No matter how much talent a writer may have, the results he or she will be able to produce are entirely dependent on the quality of information that’s available. If a client can’t express the objectives or parameters, there’s a good chance that what the writer does won’t meet expectations.

YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY POMEGRANATE

October 27, 2010 by Scott Flood

In a recent post, I talked about organizations that believe their preferred way of doing things represented the industry standards. In a similar vein, I’ve done work for companies that have their own lexicons — even style guides spelling out exactly how things should be worded.

For example, I used to do a lot of work for some divisions of Amoco Oil (since absorbed by BP). Among the no-nos in their style guide was that you couldn’t refer to their primary product as gas. Even though the average consumer may say, “I need to buy gas” and go to the gas station to pump ten gallons of gas into his gas tank, any materials produced by Amoco were required to reference “gasoline.”

IS YOUR STANDARD REALLY STANDARD?

October 20, 2010 by Scott Flood

Before starting my own business, I worked for five different ad agencies. As part of my job at each, I had occasion to write a variety of scripts — for everything from radio commercials to TV spots to presentations and training videos. Each of those agencies expected scripts to be set up a certain way, and most presented that way as “the industry standard that everyone uses.”

Yep, you guessed it. All five formats were very different.

SOMETIMES, INSIDERS DON’T HAVE THE INFORMATION

October 6, 2010 by Scott Flood

There are many reasons that companies will try to handle their marketing communications needs in-house. Sometimes, budget is the primary driver, but more often, there’s a belief that nobody in the outside world could ever understand the company as well as its employees.

That’s probably true, and it’s exactly why an outsider offers you a significant advantage.

IT MAY NOT BE NEWS TO YOU, BUT …

September 29, 2010 by Scott Flood

Don’t you love when the discount-store cashier turns to you and mumbles, “haveaniceday”? There’s not much sincerity in her delivery of that familiar line, but you cut her some slack. After all, you reason, the poor woman has probably said that line 150 times today.

Doesn’t matter. You see, you’re hearing it from her for the first time today, and she should deliver it with that in mind. There’s a lesson in there for companies, organizations, and anyone who has to market the same thing day in and day out. No matter how many times you may hear yourself saying the same thing, it’s the first time your audience has heard it.

REPEATING YOURSELF ISN’T A BAD HABIT

September 21, 2010 by Scott Flood

I’ve noticed that many companies exhibit an unusual paranoia about repetition. Once they mention something in an ad, a brochure, or on a website, they don’t think they should mention it again. I’ll often hear them react to a recommendation by saying “we promoted that already” or “we already told our customers that.”

The same thing often happens when they’re reviewing copy for a website. “We’ve already mention this on another page, so we shouldn’t repeat it here.” Okay, why not? “Because we don’t want to repeat something we’ve already said.” Again, why not?

HOW TO ALWAYS HAVE NEWSLETTER CONTENT

September 15, 2010 by Scott Flood

One of the many lessons I learned during my ad agency days was the importance of a good “swipe” file. Never heard the term? It’s simply a file (or box) where you threw ads, articles, brochures – anything you liked or thought was particularly effective. When you were given a tough assignment, you’d sift through the swipe file, and often, what you saw would trigger a new idea or a new direction.

I continue to use a couple types of swipe files. If your organization published a newsletter, one of them can help you ensure that you have a steady stream of content.

The typo patrol is on the job

September 11, 2010 by Scott Flood

Had to share this excellent article about a pair of modern-day heroes every writer will appreciate. Thanks to Nancy Brandt for sending it my way. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/102651174.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU