Wylie Communications presents
 

Writing workshop: Catch Your Readers On-Site Training

Learn to move people to act - in print and online - in this two-day Master Class.

Course Description/Agenda

Catch Your Readers

Learn to move people to act - in print and online

“Absolutely the best money I've ever spent. I learned more about writing for my audience from Ann in one day than I have in any other seminar.”
- Carie Behounek, marketing communications coordinator, COPIC Companies

Dear Colleague,

In all economic times, the communicators who thrive - and those who help their organizations thrive - are the ones who know how to write copy that sells: not just products and services, but programs, plans and positions, as well.

Let's face it: Organizations can't afford to communicate just to get the word out. They need communicators who know how to move the needle on the bottom line.

Sadly, most communicators were taught to report and inform, not to write copy that moves readers to act. In fact, many of the standard practices in business communication and PR writing today actually do more to put readers off than to persuade them.

But now there's a way to become one of the small minority of communicators who know how to write copy that catches readers ...

In April, just 60 writers will
have a chance to write copy
that catches readers at my
two-day Master Class

In this class, you'll learn how to:

1. Get readers to 1) pay attention to your message, 2) understand it, 3) remember it and 4) act on it. That - not merely getting the word out - is your four-part job description. You either achieve it or you don't. In this class, you'll learn to ditch outdated writing practices that actually annoy, rather than attract, readers. You'll leave with fresh techniques based on relevant research that you can use to reach and sway your audiences.
2. Build your business or boost your career with top-level writing skills. As I work with communication departments throughout North America, I hear executives rant about the dearth of writing skills in business communications. When your management team meets to discuss cutbacks or promotions, do you want to be the communicator with the most Pinterest followers - or the one who knows how to write copy that changes reader behavior?
3. Slash the time it takes to write. Writing isn't a matter of talent, it's a matter of tricks. The more tricks you have, the more confident you are. The faster you can make decisions, because you know what works. The less time you spend agonizing over your copy, knowing something's wrong but not knowing how to fix it. In this class, you'll stuff your writer's toolbox with tricks and techniques, systems and formulas. They'll help you write better, easier and faster.
4. Stop spending your life begging for approvals. Communicators struggle with the approval process in part because we aren't very good at explaining the art and science of writing. (Isn't that ironic?) The ability to talk about what works and why - and to back that talk up with proven, scientific evidence - is one of the best ways I know to gain more control in the approval process. In this class, you'll learn about relevant research you can use to support your points and sell your approaches to management.

In two days, you'll have time to cram your writer's tool bag with tricks - hard-to-find but easy-to-implement techniques that will make your copy more persuasive, make your writing decisions easier and give you the information you need to have a successful conversation with management about what works in writing and why.

If you're a good writer, this Master Class will quickly equip you with a bigger, better bag of writing tricks. If you're struggling, the program can give you the tools you need to get up to speed almost immediately.

Wherever you are on the learning curve, you'll be a much better writer when you walk out the door at the end of this class.

Ann Wylie

On Day 1, you'll learn to Catch Your Readers in my most popular one-day workshop:

Think Like a Reader

The secret to writing to persuade is to position your messages in your reader's best interest. (Most communicators position their messages in their organization's best interest.)

In this session, you'll learn a four-step process for making your message and your organization more relevant, valuable and rewarding to your audience. Specifically, you'll learn:

• The formula people use to determine which messages to pay attention to
• Two rewards you can use to boost audience interest in your message
• The No. 1 question to answer on your reader's behalf
• A two-minute perspective shift that focuses your message on the value to the audience
• A simple translation process that pushes audience benefits to the top of your message
• A three-letter word to use to make your message more relevant to your audience

Go Beyond the Inverted Pyramid

Our old friend the inverted pyramid hasn't fared well in recent research.

According to new studies by such think tanks as The Readership Institute and The Poynter Institute, inverted pyramids:

1. Reduce readership
2. Slash understanding
3. Don't make readers care about the information

In short, researchers say, inverted pyramids "do not work well with readers."

In this session, you'll learn a structure that will:

1. Increase reader satisfaction
2. Boost the amount of time readers spend with your message
3. Help readers understand your information more easily

Specifically, you'll learn:

• How to organize your message to grab readers? attention, keep it for the long haul and leave a lasting impression
• Three elements of a great lead? and five leads to avoid
• How to stop bewildering your readers by leaving out an essential paragraph. (Many communicators forget it.)
• Five ways to avoid the "muddle in the middle"
• A three-step test for ending with a bang

Cut Through the Clutter

Is your copy easy to read? According to communication experts, that's one of the two key questions people ask to determine whether to read a piece or toss it.

Fortunately, academics have tested and quantified what makes copy easy to read. Unfortunately, that research virtually never makes it out of the ivory tower and into the hands of writers who could actually apply it.

But you'll leave this session with the numbers you need to measurably improve your copy's readability. Specifically, you'll learn:

• How long is too long: for paragraphs? Sentences? Words?
• Three ways to shorten your copy? and which is the most effective way
• How to cut your copy before you've even written the first word
• How to avoid causing your reader to skip your paragraphs
• A tool you can use (you probably already have it, but you might not know it) to quantifiably improve your copy's readability
• A seven-step system for making your copy clearer and more concise

Lift Your Ideas Off the Page or Screen

Sixty percent of your audience members aren't reading your copy, according to estimates by two professors at the University of Missouri. So how can you craft communications that reach non-readers?

In this program, you'll learn how to use your display copy? headlines, decks and subheads, for instance? to pull readers into your copy, make your piece more inviting and even communicate to flippers and skimmers. Specifically, you'll learn how to:

More Seminar Information

Wylie Communications Delivery Method  On-Site Training Also Available As  Seminar