Writing to Relate to Your Clients
I’m a big proponent of the belief that business relationships are personal. But, many service professionals find it hard to drop the mantle of authority and sincerely relate to their clients as human beings who have fears, hopes and challenges.
While most of us write cards, letters and e-mails to meaningfully connect with family and friends, the common view is that business writing is the cool, aloof, dull and dry second-cousin of our personal communications.
That’s a misperception.
Business writing and intimacy mix very well. By intimacy, I’m referring to a desire to get to know the people behind the issues or needs that come across our desk (or computer screen). I’m also referring to a willingness to throw our genuine and empathic selves into the mix.
So, how can you better relate to your prospects and clients through your business writing?
Here are some tips via an acronym I created for a recent presentation:
- Reframe your focus. People seek out service professionals when they have issues that need solutions. They want to know that you understand their problems and can help them. They’re looking for themselves in your writing, not a reflection of your greatness and accomplishments.
- Enter your readers’ emotional space. There’s an emotional component to every business issue. Whether it’s allaying concerns about financial projections or employee attrition, prospects and clients want to know that you recognize and relate to their fears, anger and upset.
- Listen. Listening skills are critical to effective business writing. To meaningfully relate to others, we need to hear what they have to say about themselves, their situation and what they want from us. Pretend or selective listening just doesn’t cut it.
- Ask questions. One of the best ways to fine tune your writing is to regularly ask prospects and clients questions about their business needs and concerns. Use the information they provide as a guide for creating compelling online and print content.
- Tune in to conversations. There are many avenues for staying informed on matters that affect your current and prospective clients. Identify pertinent topics and follow the discussion thread through trade journals, blogs, mainstream media outlets and professional groups.
- Erase the jargon. I’m not referring to industry terms that your clients regularly use. I’m talking about legalese and other professional dialects that hamper clear, direct and meaningful written communications.
