VOLUME 23, ISSUE 10 – OCTOBER 2024
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. EMAIL PROSPECTING STINKS
Small-Biz Writing Coach: Not “Should I Use It?” But HOW & WHEN
II. GOODBYE, PROCRASTINATION: HELLO, FOCUSMATE!
Cool App Pairs Virtual Co-Workers to Get Stuff Done!
III. HOW’S YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH?
Writing Coach: Mix It Up for Better Rhythm
I. EMAIL PROSPECTING STINKS
Small-Biz Writing Coach: Not “Should I Use It?” But HOW & WHEN
Great reality-check piece on email prospecting—from Ed Gandia—friend, colleague, small-business writing coach, and regular contributor to the E-PUB.
The unspoken here is that by doing regular email prospecting—even if your prospecting volume fluctuates as needed—you’re tapping into the Law of Averages, which will reliably yield results over time.
Let’s talk about email prospecting to cold prospects.
It has one of the worst success rates of any marketing strategy.
It’s also NOT a lot of fun. It takes time, discipline and a good process. There are many more ways to do it wrong than to do it right. And most of your emails will get zero response.
Yes, that stinks. But once you’ve reached out to your entire network and to past and current clients…and your work docket is still empty…
It’s the most effective strategy you could deploy. Period.
Why? Because cold email outreach gives you the most control over your outcomes than any other strategy. Which means you can dial the effort up or down however you want.
Maybe you send out 100 emails this week to direct prospects and agencies…and possibly have a new client by next week.
Or if you’re in good shape, dial it way down and send just 5 emails per week (a “maintenance plan”).
I don’t know of any other strategy that’s this easy to deploy AND allows you to throttle your results at the same time.
So, sure, it’s not a lot of fun. Even demoralizing at times. But if your pipeline is dry and you have bills to pay, get your email prospecting machine crankin’.
Once things are more stable, you can dial down the emails and shift to a more sustainable (and fun) marketing mix. Until then, you know what to do.
II. GOODBYE, PROCRASTINATION: HELLO, FOCUSMATE!
Cool App Pairs Virtual Co-Workers to Get Stuff Done!
This intriguing piece comes from FLCW Donna Batchelor who writes content—i.e., case studies, blog posts, and product material—for B2B companies.
Donna showcases a very cool app designed to combat both writer loneliness and project procrastination. Thanks, Donna!
One complaint I occasionally hear about the writer’s life is loneliness. While I—solid INTJ here—don’t have that issue, there’s another common challenge: procrastination. I’ve discovered a tool that combats both…
Enter Focusmate. This virtual co-working app pairs you with a stranger for a video session where, after you each share the task you need to finish, you mute your mics, and get to work, while still being able to see each other in the window running Focusmate.
Focusmate is easy to use, and offers:
- Free and paid options
- Easy beginner tutorials with three simple steps, plus helpful dos and don’ts
- 25-, 50-, or 75-minute sessions
- Easy operation in your browser without extra software
- Matching with partners globally, so time zones aren’t an issue
- “Favorite” feature that lets you save good partners
- Work-ONLY focus (no networking/sales pitches allowed)
The accountability factor is powerful; knowing someone expects you to show up and work can make it easier to stick to your commitments.
Does it work? Focusmate says their most recent internal survey showed 95.5% of users reported a significant increase in productivity and reduced procrastination.
Focusmate may not cure loneliness, but it’s an excellent tool for powering through your to-do list.
III. HOW’S YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH?
Writing Coach: Mix It Up for Better Rhythm
Great tip about sentence length (one of my crusades) from Daphne Gray-Grant, a former newspaper editor who coaches writers and editors worldwide. Sign up for her free weekly newsletter, Power Writing, here.
Many writing experts say the ideal average sentence length is 14 to 18 words. Of course, that doesn’t mean every sentence should fall into that range. Rather, a healthy mix of sentence lengths is ideal.
Too many short sentences and your rhythm will sound way too choppy. Too many long ones can make copy unreadable.
And because calculating average sentence length is a nuisance, use an online tool to help you. I recommend: Analyze My Writing and Online Utility.
PB: In the Deluxe Well-Fed Tool Box (companion ebook to The Well-Fed Writer), I include a report entitled, “Write Better, Earn More” with 11 tips for improving your writing.
#7 was “Cadence Is Everything,” and the opening line is: Good writing has a rhythm to it that bad writing usually lacks. I include two samples:
Sample #1: The first step of our business process is to understand your goals. We follow that by determining the best avenue to get there. Our solutions always end up being simple, direct and effective. And the feedback we’ve received has been uniformly positive. Give us the opportunity to meet your needs. You won’t be disappointed with the results.
What’s wrong? All the sentences are roughly the same length. Sounds stilted and wooden.
Sample #2: Our business process is simple: Understand your goals and determine the best avenue to get there. The result? Solutions that are simple, direct and effective. And uniformly positive feedback. Give us the opportunity to show you how much easier life can be.
Better? And shorter! Thanks for the valuable reminder, Daphne!