While a letter can be a very powerful tool for beginning a new relationship with a key decision maker, it is limited in terms of what we can realistically expect readers to do once they have read it.
Practically speaking, unless readers have a burning need for your services, they will not pick up the phone. Thus if your call to act is limited to Give us a call today to discuss your…you will never hear from a good percentage of your readers. And that will be a setback for your business since there are likely to be lots of people who would like to learn more about you but are reasonably suspicious of leaving themselves open to a full-bore sales pitch.
However, if the call to action is for more information, you will find that a large chunk of your readers will take that next step.
That’s you can say the role of a Free Report.
This is a must
Your Free Report should build standing for you and move the probable client forward to the next step in the relationship building process. If your reader puts down the report without taking that next step, then your report hasn’t completely done its job.
What you want to do first is…
Develop an attention getting title.
- What initially makes someone want to read your report is….your title. But, most writers don’t give this the thought it deserves.
- When you send out a report your goal should be that people stop what they’re doing, and read it right then.
- When you’re developing your title focus on…results.
That’s what your readers want. That’s what they’re interested in. That’s what they’re going to read.
          Ask yourself, what result do your readers want?
- For a catchy, compelling headline, ask yourself this question; What would accomplishing the goal enable readers to do that they can’t do now?
Here is a fun example that illustrates this. Which would you rather read?
“How to automate your business†or
“How to set up your business so that it runs on autopilot while you play golf�
Key Point: Identify what the desired result would be and include that in your title.
- . Make sure that your title suggests targeted results. By this, I mean that the more you refer your role in the title, the greater the response and interest. “Time Management for Physiciansâ€, “Tax Tips for the Family Owned Business†can be some good examples.
The bottom line is that your title is critical.
Style
To be completely successful, a report, which makes recommendations, must ensure that the persons for whom the report is intended:
- Read it without unnecessary delay.
- Understand everything in it .
- Accept the facts, findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Decide to take the action recommended.
It all about the style you adopt to present relevant facts accurately. It also demands that you communicate in a way that is both acceptable and intelligible to the readers.
Selectivity
Careful choice of words can enable you to convey your messages with enough clarity.
Accuracy
Everything you put in your report should be factually accurate. The facts should be capable of being verified. Moreover, your arguments should be sound and your reasoning should be logical. Nothing should be there to misinform, mislead or unfairly persuade your readers. If you do, you will be doing damage not only to yourself but also to your business. Accurate information is essential for effective communication and decision-making.
Objectivity
A report should not be an essay reflecting personal emotions and opinions. You must look at all sides of a problem with an open mind before stating your conclusions.
Make it clear that you have an open mind while writing your report. This will, in most cases, make your conclusions and recommendations more acceptable to your readers. The emphasis, therefore, should be on the factual material presented and the conclusions drawn, rather than on any personal beliefs, biases or prejudices.
Conciseness
Julius Caesar reported his visit to our shores as Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered). While none of your reports will be as short as this, you should aim to keep them concise. Ideally, a concise report is the one, which is short but still contains all the essential details.
To ensure you do not include material, which can safely be left out, you should not ask: ‘Can this information be included?’ Rather, ‘Is it necessary you should ask for this information to be included?’
Clarity and Consistency
The best way to achieve this is to allow some time to elapse between the first draft and its revision. Try to leave it over the weekend, or at least overnight. If cannot do this, at least leave it over a lunch or coffee break. It is essential to have a period of time, no matter how short, when you can think of other things. In this way, when you come back to the report, you can look at it with a degree of objectivity.
Simplicity
Usually, your report will be as simple as it can be if your writing is selective, accurate, objective, concise, clear and consistent. Do not oversimplify… for example to the point of missing out information, which the reader needs to fully understand… You should again keep your readers firmly in mind and keep asking yourself whether they will be able to follow the logic of your presentation.
Avoid Pointless Words
Some words and phrases like basically, actually, undoubtedly, each and every one ,during the course of our investigation … keep cropping up in reports. They add nothing to the message and often can be removed without changing the meaning or the tone. Try leaving them out of your writing. You will find your sentences survive, succeed and may even flourish without them.
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