Legal and Business Writing Consultant : Lori Herz : Write For Clients : Professional Writing and Online Content Consulting

I’m planning to regularly round up writing and communications tips I’ve culled from my feeds and daily Web work.

To start off with a theme of sorts, I found a few recent tip sheets organized around the number 5.

First up are Five Tips for Writing Great Web Content brought to us by the Daily Writing Tips blog. They stress the importance of using a clear, jargon-free and conversational writing style.

Next, internet marketing strategist Lee Odden offers Five Tips for Content Distribution Networks. One of the best ways for service professionals to gain visibility on the Web and elsewhere is to produce written content that addresses the needs, interests or problems of the people you work with and want to work with.

But, as Odden points out, production is just one part of the equation. You also need to make the content readily available for consumption. Odden identifies several main distribution routes, including:

• Blogs

• E-Newsletters

• News Organizations

• Social Networking Sites

Next, Brian Clark of Copyblogger sets out Five Steps to a Truly Unique Blog. The two steps that stand out for me are:

• Identify the Difference

• Maintain Your Credibility

Taken together, they point up that your business writing (and your readers) will usually benefit from your unique perspective if it’s anchored in your authenticity instead of “false confidence or arrogance.”

Rounding out this roundup is a comprehensive listing of 150 Resources to Help You Write Better (yes, it’s a mid-span “5” tipped by Raymond Ward at the (new) legal writer blog ). Among other material, this roster comprises online:

• Almanacs

• Citation Guides

• Dictionaries

• News Media Resources

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Charles H. Green’s recent post on Faking Customer Centricity is a nice coda to my earlier commentaries on:

• Communicating with Authenticity

• Building Trust Through Your Business Writing

• Communicating Mixed Messages About Client Relationships

Green points out that, although the “language of relationships—feelings, apologies, empathy” is very much in vogue in the business world, many companies only pay lip service to being “customer-centric.” He gives a few examples of how businesses fail to back up their proclamations of customer care. From there, it’s easy to launch into our own experience.

For instance, what happens when a salesperson wearing a cute “I’m happy to serve you” button grumbles at your request for help? You feel slighted, maybe even ticked off. The same holds true when you ask a vendor to make good on their service guarantee and they offer a host of reasons why your particular problem isn’t their responsibility. This disconnect between promise (implied or overt) and action makes an indelible negative impression.

Service professionals often produce marketing materials and other communications stating “we care about you and your business” and “we put you, the client, first.” It’s very easy to embed those words in your business copy. But it’s much harder to prove to your prospects and clients that you mean what you state. The proof comes through their interactions with you.

How are you backing up your written claims of client-centricity?

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FastCompany.com alerted me to a discussion on strong customer relationships hosted by the Tom Peters blog.

Responding to his own question - What is a Customer Relationship? - contributor Steve Yastrow offers us this two-part definition: “A customer relationship is an ongoing conversation with your customer … in which the customer never thinks of you without thinking of the two of you.”

The concept of customer relationships as conversations got me thinking: What kind of conversations – and, thus, relationships - do service professionals typically foster through their business writing and other client communications?

Not too long ago, I made a late-night run to one of our local big name supermarkets. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was reassured by a large sign in the window that read “we’re open late for your shopping convenience.”

After gathering my groceries, I approached the checkout area and saw a line of about a dozen people waiting for the sole cashier on duty. Spotting the store manager, I politely asked if another cashier could open up. He looked at me and gruffly responded that someone was coming out, but that people should expect to wait when they shop so late at night.

Being the shrinking violet that I am (not), I pointed out that the store is open until midnight and prominently displays a sign communicating that fact. I also suggested that the manager remember that there are other late-night supermarkets in town and that his words actually impact way more than the dozen or so individuals consuming them in that moment.

To be sure, my shopping experience that night – which I’ve since shared with a number of local friends - was far from unique. We’ve all been on the receiving end of poor customer service. But, as consultant David Maister suggests, my experience does point up the potential dangers of treating client connections as fleeting transactions rather than lasting relationships. It also highlights the fallout, in the form of negative word-of-mouth, that service providers can generate when they send mixed messages about their willingness and ability to serve their clients well.

Perhaps, then, my local supermarket would have fared better had its manager engaged me in a candid conversation and admitted: "As the sign says, we are open until midnight. But, we can't provide you with fast and efficient checkout or plentiful and affable employees after 9pm.”

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Not too long ago, bloggers Michelle Golden and Charles H. Green spent some time outlining why they object to the use of the terms “trust” and “trusted advisor” in professional firm marketing materials.

Green - who co-authored a great book, The Trusted Advisor, and offers programs on the same subject – opined that professionals shouldn’t overtly publicize their status as, or intent to be, trusted advisors to clients. Why? Because trust is “an outcome, not a come-on.”

Reiterating Green’s belief that it’s really up to clients to deem their service providers trust-worthy, Golden adds that “trusted advisor” is used so often in promotional channels that “it’s now cliché.”

I understand and respect Green’s and Golden’s points. But, I'd like to offer a slightly different  perspective.

Trust has become a key concept - and key word - in the service professions for very good reasons. We live in a world where people often don’t live up to their promises. In essence, most business disputes concern a breakdown in trust. So, as professionals, you need to be vigilant about the role of trust in business matters and refrain from giving clients false expectations of your services.

That said, if you’re sincere and determined in your desire to foster trust-based client connections (really, the only kind of client connections there should be), there’s nothing wrong with letting the world in on that authentic intention. People seeking your help will only benefit from your candor about placing a premium on trust.

To be sure, you don’t need to use the words “trust” or “trusted advisor” when describing your offerings in online or print communications (although I see nothing wrong with using them). There’s lots of ways to let clients and prospects know that you’re committed to cultivating trust-filled, meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with them.

Regardless of the words you choose to state your commitment to trust, as Golden and Green suggest, this can’t be an empty promise. You have to team your public words with consistent, professional and personal action. As the very cliché phrase goes: You need to walk your talk.

For more insight into building trust in business relationships, check out Green’s latest Carnival of Trust , a collection of 10 recent blog posts on this important topic.

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