Hook readers with good headline: Here’s how

What’s the job of a headline? To get you to read the first sentence.

That’s it, there’s no punch line, because it’s not a joke: If you don’t write a good headline, no one will read your first sentence. If you can’t get them to read your first sentence, you’re not going to sell your product.

How do you write a good headline?

First, know what you are selling, or know the benefit of your offer.

Second, write at least 20 different headlines, more if you can stand it. And here’s why:

• It helps you clarify the gist of your offer
• Creative headlines take time to evolve
• You’ll spend less time writing your article
• The extra headlines can be great ideas for future content (be sure to save them!)

What kind of headline works best?

A numbered list – 10 Tips to Financial Security – is descriptive and the benefit to the reader is clear.

An exciting statement — Rebuild Your 401(k) in 5 Easy Steps — is a grabber because it is newsworthy: It offers a fix millions of Americans are currently facing.

A question – Is your partner leading a double life? – captures the imagination, because it hits a common fear: After the Tiger Woods scandal, NBC news reported that many marriages hit the rocks when wives (mostly) began suspecting their husbands of cheating.

Write a headline that feeds on the “need to know” hook.

Catch me with your first idea and I’ll read the next sentence. A good headline is like the last 10 pages of a murder-mystery: You gotta know what happens next.

A badly aimed headline will miss the target every time. Writing a headline is no small challenge: Humor, dramatic claims, pointed questions, even a good old-fashioned (clean) pun can be effective. Some headlines are contentious on purpose – we read them, argue the message, and keep reading. Others are so bland it’s like reading a soup label…and who wants to waste precious seconds doing that? You’ve got some selling to do.

Writing a Business Letter: The Gift of Ask

‘Tis the season…to learn how to write a sales letter.

Actually, any season will do:

The sales letter is still the best approach to connecting with potential customers, or in today’s example, referral partners.

Referral partners are a great way to share resources: You share referrals, co-market your services, and build a solid clientele. It is one of the more direct routes to successful marketing, but you still have to make it happen.

Get started by writing a letter of introduction…which is essentially a sales letter.

What are you selling?

Yourself, your services, how you are unique in your field. You should have a client base that overlaps with your prospect’s.

Who is benefiting?

Your target partner and her clients; both of you by offering a stronger service.

How you begin:

Salutation

Dear REAL NAME. Even if you are sending out a dozen letters, each one should be personalized.

Introduction

MY NAME IS and I HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE. State up front who you are, what you do, and what is special about your business.

This is where you hook your reader. If you want to form an alliance, don’t be shy. Say who you are and why your prospect should care.

Body

What you do, how you do it, what are the benefits of your particular service. Use short, descriptive sentences.

Use bullet points

• To include more information.
• Make the letter easier to read.

Ask

You wrote for a reason: This is where you state exactly what you want, and how you both will benefit.

Writing “the ask” is hard for most people: This is where the best-crafted sales letter stalls. The writer goes from confident to tentative, at precisely the wrong moment.

Here’s an example:

Before

I would like to build relationships with health care providers that I can confidently refer my clients to when they are in need of medical care and offer my skills as a complimentary service to your patients.

I would be interested in learning more about you and your services and possibly discuss how we might work together to better serve our clients.  If you would like to meet for tea, or allow me to tour your center, I would be thrilled to do so, please give me a call at 503-123-4567 to arrange a time to meet.

What’s happening?

1. Up until this point, the writer did a great job outlining her skills and capabilities. But she turned shy when it came time to say “Hey, let’s talk.” Subsequently, the sentences are too long, softening her message to where it loses impact.

2. She’s the one initiating contact, but she puts the burden of responding on the prospect.

After

I would like to speak with you about building a referral partnership that would benefit us both. A number of my clients are seeking midwifery care, and I believe your midwifery patients would appreciate the benefits…(listed)

I’d like to discuss this with you further, and will call your office within the next week to set up an appointment. If you’d like to connect sooner, please give me a call: 503-123-4567.

What changed?

1. In the edited version, “the ask” clearly states what she wants to do (build a referral partnership) and how they both will benefit (share referrals).

2. The writer takes responsibility for follow-through. This guarantees an answer, and allows her to put a yes or no – not a maybe – in the box that builds her business.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to say “Thank you!” You’ve asked for a favor, so acknowledge it. I mention this because I review far too many letters that leave this one step out.

And finally…

Letter-writing is “old-school” business communication. It’s not immediate like a text message, email or Twitter post. It takes time to craft a sales letter, time to hone your message. Like a Hallmark card, you want to send your very best. If you need help writing or editing a sales letter, ask me.

Grammar Guide: Is it one word or two?

From an email:

“I am editing a book written by my mother-in-law…what is the difference between Good night and goodnight?”

Good question, and it’s one that stumps many a Reluctant Writer.

It’s two words when you mean:

Good night, as in, “Have a good night.”

It’s one word when you mean:

Goodnight, the wish: “Goodnight, don’t let the Martians bite.”

It can be challenging to distinguish between word pairs that are separated by nothing more than a tap on the space bar…and a grammar lesson from years past.

In this instance, it really does come down to grammar: You could be dealing with a pronoun, adjective, noun, or adverb. It depends on the word pair in question, and how well you understand the underlying grammatical principle.

There’s no basic rule to follow, and reading your work aloud probably won’t help.

In short, it’s frustrating, which is why so many kind-hearted grammarians put together lists like these.

Minus the grammar lesson, I’ve addressed a few commonly confused word pairs below.

Anymore — You don’t bring me flowers anymore.
Any more — I don’t want any more food today.

Every day – I take the bus to work every day of the week.
Everyday – Missing the bus is an everyday occurrence.

Everyone – Everyone cried at the funeral.
Every one – I wish every one at work would join the softball league.

Oftentimes
Often times
Trick question! It’s only oftentimes.

What to do?
The easy fix is to type the word pair into Google and add on, “one word or two.”