Help Put Barbara McNichol
Out of the Business
She said it so casually that someone else might have
missed it. But it sure caught my attention.
Copyediting Expert Barbara McNichol and I were
preparing for our upcoming persuasive writing telephone seminar. We were exchanging our personal strategies for great writing and editing. I was taking vigorous notes and thinking I should be recording our conversation when she said it.
- If my writers and authors took these points to
heart, I’d be out of a job.
Wow. I knew what Barbara was saying was true. Those
are some useful tools for persuasive writing.
So join us in our upcoming copyediting seminar and
learn the techniques that keep people like Barbara so busy - and that keep
people reading my books. Plus, if you send us a short sample of your
writing, Barbara and I will weigh in together with ways to punch up your
persuasiveness with writing that inspires action.
You can learn more about the event at
http://www.speakstrong.com/teleseminars/pandptelesem.html.
You can even get a sneak preview. After
Barbara’s remark, I decided I didn’t want to miss any more of
her wisdom. So I started recording and asked Barbara for a persuasive
writing tip you all can apply immediately. View the course description,
scroll down and hit the play arrow to hear Barbara's action step. Then, if
you can wait a few minutes before you apply her tip to your own writing,
go ahead and register and send me a sample of your writing to use at the
telephone seminar.
Get to know Barbara better by reading her newsletter
at: http://www.barbaramcnichol.com/newsletter/05-07.html
For my literal readers, I admit, I'm not really
trying to put Barbara out of business. I wrote that headline to pique your
curiosity. I wanted you to ask: Who's Barbara McNichol? Why would I want
to put her out of business? Made ya look - didn't I? Just a little
persuasive writing in action. Register today.
This Week in the World
Customer Service Confrontation
I knew my bookkeeper was agitated when she asked me
to talk to the QuickBooks rep she was trying to order an upgrade from. I
thought she would ask me to authorize my bookkeeper to speak for me. I was
surprised when the rep started lecturing me about how QuickBooks looks
unfavorably on people pretending they are someone else. It hadn't occurred
to either of us that my bookkeeper couldn't place an upgrade order for me
and I heard the whole conversation and did not hear my bookkeeper claim
she was me. So I responded, "I don't believe she was trying to pretend she
was me." When the rep insisted she had, I felt myself locked in a no-win
situation. I asked, "Can we speak to someone else?" The rep said that
would be fine.
I'm happy enough with how I handled the situation
since there was no reason for me to continue with this particular rep.
(The second rep was very pleasant.) But after conversations like this, I
like to reflect on other ways I could have handled the conversation to
help develop my skills for days when I can't just switch who I'm talking
to.
I could have responded:
- We'll be careful not to speak in a way that can be
taken to imply we're someone else in the future. Can we order our upgrade
now?
You don't need to fight every battle, but it's
useful to review conversations retroactively to consider alternative
approaches. That can help you (and me) the next time when switching reps
isn't an option.
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One New Article
I have one new article this week. It's a personal
biography. The main purpose of the piece is to give me an excuse to list
all the possible misspellings of my name so searchers can find me. I
invite you to enjoy my musings.
Go for a Communication Transformation. Get the
entire SpeakStrong Library.
PowerPhrase of the Week
Because I Care
I believe I write pretty well, but those details get
me every time. I count on my readers let me know when I call the former
CIA Director the former FBI Director, when I forget to mail a Pippi, when
I misspell something or when some other error slips in after the watchful
eyes of my proofreader have corrected what I send her.
I appreciate how readers inform me of my errors.
They always include some acknowledgment of the value of my newsletter.
Recently one reader put this in her subject line:
It made the discovery of one more error more
pleasant.
It also tells me people actually read this thing.
That works for me.
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Poison Phrase of the Week
Your Busy Season is Not My Problem
When Chris called the pool service to tell him their
new, expensive liner leaked, the provider said he would check it out, and
added,
- You’ll have to remember this is our busy
season.
There are two problems with this comment. First, no
one likes hearing they have to do anything. Second, this provider has an
obligation to his customers. The fact that it’s his busy season is
his problem and not the customers’. His words implied that he
expected his customers to bear the brunt of his scheduling issues.
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Read the in-depth description of: How to Use
PowerPhrases.
Ask Meryl
The Case of the Stopped the Check
We spent a lot of money on a pool liner. It leaks.
My husband stopped the check. How do I tell the pool company that we
stopped the check without sounding abrasive?
Meryl Responds
Say,
- Bad news! The liner leaks. We stopped payment on
the check since the
job isn't complete, but we have another one
ready for you for when it's fixed.
Even if they are reputable, the sad reality is
you're far more likely to get better service if they don't have your
money.
There's lots of information about how to communicate
up the ladder in PowerPhrases!. Enjoy the in-depth description here.
comments
Reader Success Story
Not a Yes Man
I just returned from a
dinner where my attorney husband was honored for winning a case. His
client loved him. The client praised him for not being a yes-man as he
thought some of the partners were. The client liked how my husband
listened to his ideas but didn't automatically agree with him.
It shows how true it can be that "playing it safe"
isn't always so safe.
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