How to Mobilize People Through Powerful Writing

"Darkest Hour," a 2017 war drama film, devotes its narrative to the early days of British prime minister Winston Churchill, who rallied a nation against the merciless Nazi onslaught of World War II.

The film chronicles Churchill's authentic, soul-stirring speeches and the Shakespearean gusto with which he delivered words like these: "Let us, therefore, brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

Though the world still heralds Churchill's heroic statements, few people knew that Churchill overcame a lisp in his childhood by practicing his enunciation. Churchill understood the power of words early in life, and historians estimated that he spent one hour working on each individual minute of a speech he gave! Churchill sought to portray England's struggle in a larger historical context: good outlasting evil, hope to overshadow the impossible, and perseverance overcoming persecution. 

The result?

The entire fate of world history shifted through the hearts and hands of the people he inspired. President John F. Kennedy summed up Churchill's influence like this: "In the dark days and darker nights when England stood alone — and most men... despaired of England's life — he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle."

Writing: The Building Block of Success

What can we learn from Winston Churchill?

While not all of us have oratory giftings, be encouraged that Churchill was also a student of language, and he overcame his limitations with study, practice, and passion!

Would you like to be more successful in your personal and professional impact?

Writing is the foundation of modern education and fundamental to all business success. Whether you're penning a quarterly report, crafting an in-house memo, giving a congratulatory speech, or even dashing a quick e-mail, here are some tips for writing in a professional, persuasive manner:

1. Grab them early.
Great writing doesn't allow readers to look away! Use punchy headlines, riveting stories, or gripping questions to draw them in immediately.

2. Get to the point.
After you use that "luring" intro, don't let them linger! Get to the point quickly and efficiently, without "burying the lead" too deep in the text. Eliminate unnecessary words and use language that is clear and efficient. An energetic, fast-paced tone will assure them that reading to the end is worth their time.

3. Be convincing but not too clever. Persuade your readers with clarity but also with logic and facts. Providing evidence (or examples) for your premise will build momentum and increase authority. As you write, keep a personal tone that is warm but convincing. Ask yourself, "would this make sense if I was sharing it with a friend over coffee?" Phrases with an awkward, artificial ring should probably get the ax!

4. Keep it moving. As you lead readers toward a closing statement or action step, take a broad glance at the entire piece. Does it flow smoothly with a directional movement that builds toward a thoughtful climax? Does it read well on the page with adequate breaks and subheadings? Consider adding skim layers or reducing the size of a document if you sense people will be bogged down in your thoughts.

5. Add depth and dimension. As you seek to add that extravagant bow to your smartly wrapped package, review your piece and look for ways you can really make it "sing." Consider colorful vocabulary, punchy alliteration, or rich rhythms as you vary the length of your paragraphs. As French writer Charles Baudelaire once said, "always be a poet, even in prose."

Pure Happiness: How to Reduce the Impact of Negative People in Your Life

It is practically impossible to completely cut negative people from your life, but there are some steps that you can take to help mitigate the damage that they can do.

When you're constantly surrounded by individuals who would rather see a glass half empty, it can begin to take a toll on even the most optimistic of souls. Over time, this wearing down of your positive exterior can grow and spread -- until you find that you're the one who has a negativity problem!

Fortunately, there are ways that you can reduce the impact that gloomy people have over your life and simply choose happiness. 

Identifying Negative People

Some negative people exude a black cloud, while others may be a bit more subtle in their darkness.

The first step towards culling negativity from your life is by identifying those individuals who are causing your life to be less-than-happy. Stay on the lookout for people with these traits:

• Constant worrying and fretting, often for no reason


• Enjoy secrecy or spreading rumors


• Always seem to be stuck in neutral -- no steps forward, nothing outside their comfort zone


• Even the most exciting projects receive a "Blah" reaction


• Every positive statement contains a "but", turning it right into a negative

Protect Your Time

Have you noticed that some people like to wander from place to place in an office or workplace setting, spreading gloom and doom wherever they go?

They truly seem to enjoy bringing others down to their level of bad attitude. Don't be afraid to block your calendars for 15 or even 5 minutes to recharge and meditate after an interaction with one of these individuals. It will help you reset your mood from down in the dumps to feeling like there's a more positive future on the horizon. 

Focus on Your Goals

When you have a laser focus on accomplishing your goals, no one can stand in your way!

Isolate yourself from toxic relationships and find a way to work with people who nourish you mentally by challenging your thoughts in a way that helps you take leaps forward in cognition -- not those who make you want to hide in a corner and nurse your wounds. Few supervisors will notice that you're changing the subject if you take them towards a topic that is close to their heart, especially if you choose one that's going exceptionally well. 

Choose to Behave Productively

While you may be stuck in the rut of listening to negativity simply out of a need to be polite, keep in mind that you have a choice.

When someone starts going down that same old road towards negativity, gently let them know that you are focusing on the positive aspects. You appreciate their viewpoint, but you don't feel it is productive. This can be a bit dicey if the individual sharing the negative elements in their life is your superior, but find a way to wrap the conversation back to a positive -- and productive -- bent. 

Don't allow these energy vampires to suck the happiness from your life. Combat the negativity by staying relentlessly positive, and always finding a way to compliment others and help them see the brighter side of every situation. When you make these decisions, you are automatically reducing the impact of negativity in your life, and opening up a whole new avenue for happiness. 

Magnets Remind Customers You Care

Keeping your business top of mind for your customers requires creativity and constant reminders that your goods and services are available.

If you've exhausted your ideas, why not try something that's worked great for pizza and fast food restaurants for years? Sheila M., a local car dealership office manager, decided to leverage printed magnets to drive interest in her business. 

Focus on Community

Keeping the public's interest when there are lots of other businesses attempting to gain attention as well is difficult, to say the least.

Local car dealerships are always looking for a tactic that will place them above the competition in the view of the public. When you show that you care about your audience, you will subconsciously encourage people who view your marketing and advertising to think about your brand in a positive light. As part of her job as office manager, Sheila received a lot of questions about car seats and found herself often helping new parents understand the specific requirements in her state. 

Sheila's Light Bulb Moment

When her sales manager asked Sheila for suggestions on what type of promotional product would be good to help promote their business, she immediately thought about the way so many customers asked her about car seat safety.

She would print off the car seat rules from the internet and send them home with families with young children, and she decided this was a great opportunity to expand that relationship into the community. Sheila visited her local print shop and worked with them to design a refrigerator magnet that included quick tips on car seat safety, such as the legal age for moving from rear-facing car seats to forward-facing car seats. Sheila also included the local number for the Sheriff's department in case parents had any questions. Once she added her car dealership's branding and contact information, she knew she had a winner!

Immediate Results

Passing out these refrigerator magnets in the community had an immediate impact on sales.

Sheila and her sales manager decided to do a wider mailing within their zip code and a few surrounding areas once they realized that the magnets were incredibly well-received. The dealership received calls thanking them for caring about the community, and several new customers came in the first week mentioning the magnets. 

When you are ready to promote your business in a way that will resonate with your key audiences, give us a call! We will work closely with you to define the ideal printed items that will support your business goals.