6.0 Tailor Your Content
Walt Disney built an empire that is founded on a mouse. If he can take an idea like that and turn it into the success story that it is today, then you can surely take your thoughts and ideas and create a beautifully written masterpiece. You simply get your ideas down on paper, then arrange them—and rearrange them—until they sing! It may not be easy, but it is possible. One advertising executive learned the important lesson of editing—the hard way: “I was doing an ad for a travel agency that seemed simple enough. How hard could it be? It was one simple sentence. I was so happy with my quick, catchy sentence that I paid no attention to the typo that I had made until it was too late and had already gone to press. The ad read: ‘The seen from the top of the Grand Canyon is breathtaking.’ Of course, it was supposed to read: ‘The scene from the top of the Grand Canyon is breathtaking.’ It is funny looking back on it now, but my company wasn’t laughing at the cost of my mistake at the time. I now edit and proofread everything before I submit it, and then I edit it again ten times before the final cut.”
EDIT YOURSELF
Editing can be made easier by following some basic steps and by thinking your way through the process. So, once you have your letter written, edit it for content, style, grammar, everything! Use these “Basic Training” steps to guide you through the editing process:
■ Organize your thoughts—Have you thought everything through? Does your letter follow a logical path? Did you write with the end in mind?
■ Analyze your audience—Have you studied and thought about your reader? Is your writing geared directly toward your reader? Have you left the door open for the reader to respond? If so, have you geared your words to elicit the response you hoped for from your reader?
■ Be clear and concise—Did you get to the point? Did you stay with the point? Have you included all necessary supporting evidence and/or documents? Is your message clear? Are your facts straight? Have you chiseled away all needless words to be sure you are not rambling?
■ Keep it simple—Are you focused and brief? Are you forgetting any critical information in your quest to simplify? Is it easy to understand?
■ Accentuate the positive—Are you emphasizing the good stuff? Have you omitted all negativity and anger? Have you maintained a personal yet professional tone?
■ Avoid certain words—Have you stricken all words that hinder your success? Have you created any of your own words that do not exist?
■ Add a personal touch—Is your personal signature in every sentence? Do you have a style that shines through your message like a lighthouse in a storm?
■ Tailor the letter—Have you written, rewritten, edited, and then re-edited? Do you have the opinion of a colleague or friend? Once you have followed these steps, take a mental break—at least a few hours, but preferably overnight. Then go back over what you have written one more time. You can look at it with fresh eyes and a clear mind, and any mistakes will pop out at you like flashing Las Vegas lights. After you have corrected your mistakes, ask a trusted friend, colleague, or family member to give you their opinion. Be sure to be gracious about their thoughts even if you disagree. Remember that a big part of being a leader is being a learner—and you can learn something from everyone. Keep in mind the wise words of best-selling author James Michener: “I may not be the world’s best writer, but I am the world’s best re-write.