If I say "3-D," what comes into your mind? Algebra classes in high school, maybe, with those graphs showing length and width and height? That's at least a concrete reference: we live in a three-dimensional world.
And if you go to movies--and I know you do--then I'm sure you've had fun watching Coraline or Avatar with those 3-D glasses.
Did you take them off during the film and put them back on to see the differences in your perception? If you're like me, you've also put the glasses on outside the movie theater, and perhaps, like me, you had to take them off quickly or risk running into things, or getting a headache.
It's pretty amazing that what works to give clear vision in one setting can have the opposite effect in the real world.
What does this have to do with writing? You have clients, and a message to communicate to them.
You also want that message to reach potential clients.
Every professional, every entrepreneur, everyone in a service industry: all of us need to share our knowledge in a way that benefits both our clients and ourselves.
Many people blog.
Others send out newsletters or submit articles to professional publications, and some do all three.
What do these methods have in common? They all involve writing, and even people who did well in English classes can find it scary to write when their business is on the line.
You want what you write to be easy for your readers to understand; you want to communicate clearly and effectively; and you want what you write to help you make money.
How can you do it? By writing in 3-D.
1.
Define a specific problem you can solve, or a particular need you can fulfill.
Sometimes you have to tell potential clients why they need help in the first place.
For example, a financial planner might decide to write about 401(k) rollover options for people with oaccounts of at least $200,000.
00 and owho are facing layoffs or termination.
The more specific you are, the more helpful your information will be.
If your business can solve a lot of problems for people, you have that many more blog or article topics for the future.
2.
Determine the possible solutions to your audience's problem.
Most needs or problems can be resolved in more than one way; the writer demonstrates her level of expertise by showing these resolutions in simple terms and easy concepts.
In the example above, the financial planner could list the available options as bullet points and include the pros and cons of each one.
3.
Deliver the best solution for the problem at hand.
Since everyone is different, this section might break down into "situation A/solution X, but situation B/solution Y" form.
After all, a 401(k) decision that makes sense for a single person retiring in 40 years might be foolish for a married parent of two who is retiring in 20 years.
If you find the number of options is getting out of hand and things aren't simple anymore, it's okay to go back to the beginning and tighten up your definition of the problem.
You can always take the work you've done on other solutions and create future blogs or articles.
This is writing in 3-D.
Using this technique can help you focus your writing, give real solutions to your current clients, and convert potential clients into new business.
And the more you can benefit your clients, the more money you can make.
I call that a real win-win.
And if you go to movies--and I know you do--then I'm sure you've had fun watching Coraline or Avatar with those 3-D glasses.
Did you take them off during the film and put them back on to see the differences in your perception? If you're like me, you've also put the glasses on outside the movie theater, and perhaps, like me, you had to take them off quickly or risk running into things, or getting a headache.
It's pretty amazing that what works to give clear vision in one setting can have the opposite effect in the real world.
What does this have to do with writing? You have clients, and a message to communicate to them.
You also want that message to reach potential clients.
Every professional, every entrepreneur, everyone in a service industry: all of us need to share our knowledge in a way that benefits both our clients and ourselves.
Many people blog.
Others send out newsletters or submit articles to professional publications, and some do all three.
What do these methods have in common? They all involve writing, and even people who did well in English classes can find it scary to write when their business is on the line.
You want what you write to be easy for your readers to understand; you want to communicate clearly and effectively; and you want what you write to help you make money.
How can you do it? By writing in 3-D.
1.
Define a specific problem you can solve, or a particular need you can fulfill.
Sometimes you have to tell potential clients why they need help in the first place.
For example, a financial planner might decide to write about 401(k) rollover options for people with oaccounts of at least $200,000.
00 and owho are facing layoffs or termination.
The more specific you are, the more helpful your information will be.
If your business can solve a lot of problems for people, you have that many more blog or article topics for the future.
2.
Determine the possible solutions to your audience's problem.
Most needs or problems can be resolved in more than one way; the writer demonstrates her level of expertise by showing these resolutions in simple terms and easy concepts.
In the example above, the financial planner could list the available options as bullet points and include the pros and cons of each one.
3.
Deliver the best solution for the problem at hand.
Since everyone is different, this section might break down into "situation A/solution X, but situation B/solution Y" form.
After all, a 401(k) decision that makes sense for a single person retiring in 40 years might be foolish for a married parent of two who is retiring in 20 years.
If you find the number of options is getting out of hand and things aren't simple anymore, it's okay to go back to the beginning and tighten up your definition of the problem.
You can always take the work you've done on other solutions and create future blogs or articles.
This is writing in 3-D.
Using this technique can help you focus your writing, give real solutions to your current clients, and convert potential clients into new business.
And the more you can benefit your clients, the more money you can make.
I call that a real win-win.
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