What do you think is the secret to successful business writing?
Listening
Yep, it has nothing to do with writing and everything to do with listening.
It is a skill I stunk at. Probably a result of that middle child of seven thing – talk louder and be heard.
- It did not work as a child.
- And it sure does not work for business.
I worked to improve my listening skills. Sometimes I slip into old habits, so I continue to work on it. See if any part of my story sounds familiar.
Learning the Secret of Successful Business Writing
Writing has always been an exercise I enjoyed (the only exercise I enjoyed). It speaks to my independent nature. It’s just you, pen, and paper (metaphorically speaking).
However, business writing is not a solo flight. Your copilot and flight crew are your client, subject matter experts, and the customers they serve.
- When someone spoke to me, it triggered a stampede of ideas
- All tripping over one another to spill out.
- And too often, they did. I needed to stop and listen.
I had to remove my Amelia Earhart cap and step outside my writing plane. (Watch the puns soar). 🙂
Perhaps the pattern was my creative mind at work. But you know what? People did not care.
- Talking drowned out their ideas.
- They were not being heard.
- And I was not listening.
We all need to be heard.
You validate another person by listening. A validated person listens back. This is what they call DIALOG.
Note to Self: Shut Up and Take Note
My racing mind was not easy to shut up. I had to come up with a plan.
It was simple.
- Create a set of questions
- Ask clients those questions
- Take notes on their responses
By having a set of questions, it forced me to concentrate on the questions and my clients’ responses. Over time, listening became natural.
To deliver better solutions, listen for what your client needs.
Your Listening Tool
I revised and customized questions for specific clients. You can do the same. The following illustration suggests a framework for your questions.
The following offers sample questions you can use, edit, or ignore. You decide.
The Icebreakers
Individuals love talking about their business. If they are unfocused or unsure of what they are looking for, the icebreaker questions stimulate the thought process.
- Tell me about your business. What would you say your business does best?
- What makes your business different from your competitors?
- Who are your competitors?
- How would you describe your ideal customer?
- What one message do you want all customers to believe about your business?
The Problem
Clients sometimes have difficulty expressing their needs. By better understanding their challenges you can help them find solutions.
- What do you wish was working better?
- What strategies have you tried so far?
- How did they work for you?
- What do you hope to accomplish with this project/product/service?
- How will you know you’ve accomplished that?
The Expectations
Particularly with a new client, you want to be on the same page when it comes to expectations. Ask questions to discover the following.
- Communication preferences – e.g., emails, phone calls, scheduled meetings
- Timelines with critical milestones – e.g., product sale cycles, customer deadlines
- Budget allowances – consider offering product/service options to optimize budget allowances
- Fee and contract terms – discuss first, follow up in writing, and receive signed agreement
Final Tips
Your questions are not set in granite. You can wander from the script if you’re still doing more listening than talking.
- Engage in the conversation – ask additional questions based on responses
- Recap what you’ve heard to show you’re listening
- Thank your clients for their time and explain next steps
What questions do you ask to produce successful business writing? Please share your questions in Comments.
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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours
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Note: When updating the Kindred Business Communication post, I noticed its link to this post showed this post published on March 14, 2012. Well, I thought it was high time I update this Successful Business Writing post, too. So, on May 1, 2022, I did just that. 🙂
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Great post, Cathy! I’ve seen this play out so many times in my own career. The times when I’ve listened (actively listened) I’ve been able to impress and win clients by repeating what they’ve said and remembering small details.
This kind of listening is soooooo important Cathy – you describe it well. It takes practice to get myself out of the way so I can hear the answers and also get a clue about what’s unstated.
Thanks
Lori-it really does work-all I had to do was learn to shut up-not an easy task for me 😉
Anne-I like that phrase get myself out of the way-perfect description!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lori & Anne.
Attentive listening is a true skill, Cathy, and you describe it well here. Interestingly, since I don’t use many face to face meetings, I have to listen virtually and use some of those questions on my client questionnaire.
Hi Sharon: I mostly do the virtual listening as well – or – by phone. Sometimes that can make it even harder to stay focused, since the person isn’t across looking at you. 🙂