At a recent networking group meeting I shared these situations and phrases that I have found to be indicators that a company needs writing services.
1. The to-do list is getting unmanageable.
When a small business owner gets overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks, writing new marketing material, a new testimonial story, updating of the website or writing the customer newsletter usually get pushed off the to-do list.
Business owners can concentrate on running the business when they outsource their writing tasks. Professional writers are skilled at coordinating communication tasks, conducting interviews, collecting the required information to distill messages and write the story for the targeted purpose. They can do the job efficiently.
2. I’ve never written anything like this before.
You may have some experience in writing a specific type of content but sometimes business owners fail to recognize the differences in various writing styles. Brochures, web content, white papers, case studies, media releases, corporate video scripts, advertisements, e-newsletters each require a different style and format. A professional writer knows where to start and how to finish the task with clear, concise messaging aimed at the targeted market and in the appropriate style.
3. My first language is not English.
When a business targets a Canadian English audience, they may need some help with editing text to make sure the message is clear, and uses local phrasing and terminology.
4. I’m too close to this subject.
Familiar subject matter gets in the way of defining the real message. The saying “you can’t see the forest for the trees” illustrates your dilemma. You see all the little details, every fern frond and every pine needle without seeing the bigger picture of the forest. A professional writer can bring a fresh set of eyes to help define or find your message and write it for a particular audience. A proofreader can find all the typos that you cannot see because you are too close the material.
5. It’s a big project but it’s still six months away.
When you start a large project, such as a website redesign or a trade show, deadlines seem to be in the distant future. As a result, your everyday work always pushes the big projects back.
A professional writer brought in at the beginning can handle the writing tasks ensuring the project is done well without the stress of trying to do it all at the last minute.
6. We need some planning time but we still have to get the newsletter out.
I actually had a client ask me to step in to finish some writing assignments so that they could take some blue sky moments with staff for a strategic planning session. They came back with plans for the next year and I had the assignments completed. Calling in a writer to take care of the deadline driven projects was an effective use of their resources.
7. I’m bored with this stuff.
When you are simply bored with the material you’re working on generating any kind of reasonable copy is a major challenge. You have no new ideas and you need a fresh perspective. A professional writer can bring the creative burst that you need.
8. It’s time for some fresh ideas.
Professional writers are skilled at thinking outside the cubicle. We work with a variety of clients in a variety of industries. As a result, we are exposed to fresh ideas and creative people who help to generate new points of view, new directions. The enthusiasm that we bring to our clients is contagious.
9. What is my unique message?
You do have a unique story to tell about your product or service and it needs to be told in an enthusiastic and believable way. A professional writer will ask enough of the right questions to draw out the unique message and tell your story in a way that is suitable for print, the web, podcast or video. The underlying message may be the same but the words and style will vary by the method of delivery. You need an independent writing professional to craft your message.
10. We don’t have anyone we can assign full time to this project.
Businesses need flexibility. Writers work by professional standards on an as-needed basis or by project. Generally, we are flexible with time. This is essential to meet our customers’ deadlines. We constantly push boundaries and strive to deliver value to customers. Customers who see value in the work of freelancers are satisfied customers. Satisfied customers provide referrals and that’s the best business we can get.
