by David Tandet
• “Bullets are nice.” Got that from a client before he clicked off the phone after delivering marching orders for his next newsletter. Very key. Whether it’s bullets or numbers, more paragraphs or subheadings, organization makes the copy readable. It also keeps you on track. Make the points you want to make. Write […]

by David Tandet
Jerry Lynch quoted former Olympic volleyball player Lori Endicott in his  sports psychology classic Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: “There are six people on the volleyball court. We all have different strengths, weaknesses, personalities. It creates a dynamic that’s more exhilarating than an individual sport.”
In Right Before You Write, Jonathan O’Brien has this to […]

by David Tandet
Increasing  social media has the same effect on good writing that the size of a parking structure has on nice cars: not much.
Some networkers babble on in disjointed streams of consciousness. Others? Wordsmiths to the max.
But when it comes to the need for effective writing in all this, there’s no need to look […]

by David Tandet
What do well-written screenplays and successful grant proposals have in common? A lot, it turns out. Jonathan O’Brien explains all about it in his book Right Before You Write.
O’Brien’s “Almost World Famous Seven Cs” can be applied to both disciplines. If it sounds like a gimmick, well yours truly is for any gimmick […]

by David Tandet
As director of development for the Alzheimer’s Association - California Central Coast Chapter - part of Sue Murphy’s job involves grant writing that will help advance her organization’s mission. What is that mission? To ultimately eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through research, provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the […]

by David Tandet
Came across a terrific item by Emily (Emily’s World) on how non-profits can use the social web to spread the word.
Believe it or not, the whole concept of simply “getting the message out” is not as much of a no-brainer as it might first appear. That’s because a lot of people are still […]

by David Tandet
Got a call from a colleague recently who had a big problem. As in big bio. My friend was willing to put in all the information the executive wanted, of course. But she wanted to make sure her client realized most readers were going to stop reading after the first paragraph.
It’s understandable that […]

by David Tandet
A Hollywood Tale
There once was a Hollywood talent agency where all the top honchos drove the same make of luxury vehicle.
One time they hired this ten percenter from just down the road a piece (that would put the L.A. distance at about twenty billion dollars worth of L.A. real estate away).
The newbie’s […]

by David Tandet
11. Lists force you to write better sentences.
Most peoples’ sentences are too long. Structure your points into a list and every point has to be concise.
12. Search Engine Guide likes lists.
Three of the top pieces on a recent Search Engine Guide:
• “28 Resources for Paid Search Strategies” by Manoj Jasra
• “11 Ways to […]

by David Tandet
Emphasizing benefits over features is a basic marketing principle that’s easy to forget. Invest three seconds and you’ll remember to apply it.
Many of you are familiar with the marketing principle that it is better to emphasize benefits rather than features.
Do you remember to use it?
I treasure three seconds that will always remind me […]