GOOD WRITING: TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING WRITER AND EXPERT INTERFACE

Firms have routine ways in choosing writers to write copy for websites, pdfs, white papers, advt copy, or any promotional materials. One prominent criteria adopted in choosing writers is the price at which their writing comes. Seldom is the writers’ portfolio, or their ability to present clearly the product or service to the prospective customer, taken into consideration.

One thing is for sure, clarity in copy reduces the effort required of potential clients to make a purchase decision. But, in order to ensure that the sales copy achieves this purpose, the following questions need to be duly considered and answered.

Does the copy written by a professional writer faithfully present all details of the product or service in offer?

A point of common acceptance is that, balance is seldom achieved between the product in offer, and the write-up to explain it. Again, we are coming to the much debated demand for the need to bring about common understanding between the expert who has product knowledge, and the writer who documents in appropriate language the features and benefits of the product. Hurdles to smooth interface between experience and expression are vividly seen as company policy, confidentiality, marketing strategies, and attitudinal issues on the part of either.

Good understanding between the expert and the writer can be established by
- sharing of information, experience and expertise
- promoting a common understanding of the product or service in offer
- evolving a mutually acceptable outline of the content, such that in the future there could be no major mismatches between the product offered and its description
- leaving no scope for confusion in understanding or needless distractions in presentation

Is all writing the same, or are there any layers in writing?

Many believe that 'writing is writing.' But, what they really fail to understand is that writing or expression changes with the task to be accomplished. The writing skill that is required for producing a web copy is different from the writing required to produce an Email Newsletter.

Professional writing has 4 layers.

1. Brochures, Web Copy, Event Invitations and Speeches demand promotional writing. Here the writer's interface with the expert is peripheral or rather superficial. But what is vital is the writer's concrete understanding of the firm's customers, and of what motivates them to buy the products in offer.

2. Proposals, fact sheets, client case studies and press releases demand explanatory writing. Here again the writer's role is minimal, being limited to presenting in good language all the expert ideas and experiences with customers of the company.

3. White papers, Email Newsletters, Blogs and Articles demand educational writing. Here the writer's intention is not to produce a sales-oriented copy, but to present an informative and fact-filled writing. The writer offers an in-depth explanation of the product or service launched or to be launched.

4. Management journal articles, research studies and books constitute developmental writing. Here the writer is expected to gather expert's ideas, develop them and present them as in-depth feature stories. The writer resorts to developmental writing mainly to shape the expert's thinking.

Should idea be the exclusive domain of the expert, and expression of the writer?

It can never be. From the above categorization of writing types, it is evident that the writer and the expert are bound by set limitations. The writer lacks the ideas, and the expert lacks the expression. So, what is needful is good understanding between the expert and writer to achieve the goal of producing a good copy to put the message across to the prospective customers.

Will a draft outline of copy preceding the final content ensure good understanding and healthy appreciation between the expert and the writer?

Certainly yes. Towards establishing the rules of engagement between the writer and the expert, the preparation and presentation of draft outline is of primary importance. The chief benefit in having an outline before the actual content is that, it keeps the expert and writer focused on the ideas to be developed, with the expert being relieved of worries that the writer may go out-of-way in presentation of information, and the writer being freed of needless expert attempts to tinker with his expression, with each focusing on their respective domains, in addition to giving scope for mutual understanding and support.

Are firms really matching the right writer with the job to be done?

Seldom this happens. With firms having exceptional brand presence in the market, enough care is taken to see that the writer and the task duly match. In this context, the ‘writers’ pool’ that these firms have at their disposal needs mention. In the case of medium and smaller firms, new to the market or yet to establish their presence in the market, it is a sort of mixed approach, where writers are rarely matched with the writing task to be performed, with greater weight-age being given to the price at which the writer offers writing services. To avoid catastrophic fallout of writer-task mismatch, the expert can orient the writer, such that the writer becomes knowledgeable about the topic at hand. This enables writers to offer writing, that to a greater extent achieves common understanding, and establishes healthy appreciation between the two.

SANJAY NANNAPARAJU
sanjay8899@aol.in