As we saw in the introduction, writing is not easy, especially writing something that must be persuasive. A couple more examples make the point. For a while there was a sign on Paddington station that said: ‘Passengers must not leave their luggage unattended at any time or they will be taken away and destroyed.
Once when I checked in at Sydney airport I was handed a printed card which stated ‘Has anyone put something in your luggage without your knowledge?'[I could only say I didn’t know!].
Let’s be clear; even one sentence can cause problems – you have been warned! Writing your message needs care and needs checking. Check everything you write carefully more than once. Sleep on it, come back to it, get someone else to read it:get it right.
So how do you go about it?
Provide a sound basis of understanding
First things first. No one will buy anything they do not understand, and if something is unclear in a mailshot it will most likely be discarded; checking up to clarity is just seen as too complicated. So clarity is vital.
Saying something is quite nice is so bland that, if applied to something that is hugely enjoyable it understates it by so much as to be almost insulting. The emphasis is in adequate,even though I suppose the word nice makes it clear that something positive is being said.
Diluting description with blandness is certainly to be avoided; it is unlikely to add power to your case, and choosing the wrong word is another matter. Doing so might confuse, upset – or worse. The following examples are designed to show the danger. Let us start with a couple of simple everyday words: comic and comical. Mean much the same thing? No. Something comic is intended to be funny, whereas something comical is funny unintentionally.
More relevant to business presentations are the following:
Continuous [unbroken or uninterrupted] and continual [repeated or recurring]-a project might be continuous [in process all the time],but work on it is more likely to be continual [unlessyou never sleep]
Are you interested in a proposal or disinterested in it? The first time imples you are apathetic and care not either way, the latter means you have nothing to gain from it.
Similarly, dissatisfied and unsatisfied should not be confused; the former means disappointed, while the latter means needing more of something.
You might want to do something expeditious [quick and efficient], but saying it is expedient might not be so well regarded as it means only that something is convenient [not always a good reason to do anything].
Fortuitous implies something happening accidentially, it does not mean fortunate.
If you are a practical person then you are effective, if something is practicable it is merely possible to do, and pragmatic is something meant to be effective [rather than proven to be].
One wrong word may do damage and ill-chosen words can quickly create nonsense: This practicable approach will ensure the practicable project will be continuous; it is fortuitous that I am uninterested in it and I am sure I will not be unsatisfied to see it start’.
Of course, no inaccurate or ungrammatical use of language will help your case even if it only annoys rather than confuses [as, for example, saying very unique might do-unique means unlike anything else and cannot be qualified in this way].Some care, maybe even some checking or study may be useful.
Reference: Direct Marketing In a Week: Patrick Forsyth