Whenever I begin a staff meeting with I HAVE AN IDEA I see eyes roll, it’s a sign that my audience has heard this before and the results may not have worked out.
This time though, I do have an original idea and the jury is out if it is a thumbs up or thumbs down. First, though I want to talk about the idea.
I have a background in writing professional emails and industry informational materials, 20 years at least or maybe more. This was when business writing consisted of a single typewritten sheet of white 20lb typing paper, printed out then folded and inserted into a long white envelope next a white sticky address label was attached to the front middle. Add a stamp and drop it into the large blue box to send by snail mail.
That is some background to say I worked hard at composing these letters and paying particular attention to the reader’s problem which would be solved if the reader would hire my company. The letter was two short paragraphs with a personal hand signature.
Fast forward to 2021 and I question what I see as the obvious; poor connection with professionals by email. Since email is considered the gold standard and king of communication therein lies a disconnect somewhere.
I began to explore how to change this disconnect and during this same timeframe I took two creative workshops, Storytelling Workshop and Creatives Workshop, and have excitedly come up with I HAVE AN IDEA.
My hypothesis is this: emails sent to professionals can be useful, informative, welcome and also be creative and fill our basic human desire of connection.
Today writing is different than it was 20 years ago. Then a service business laid out the service provided and the prospective company called to ask about pricing. Now with many emails flying into inboxes, it’s like overwhelm and attention disorder and who has time for all of this? Hence my hypothesis; repeated here in a different way, if we write to introduce our service to professional people who are either working in their office or at home, we must show up in a human interaction liking way. Simply: let’s just be people who like other people and want what is best for them, their company, and their community. Let’s cause connection everywhere we write.
Last week I began by writing a sample email (keep in mind what I plan to achieve) everyday and posting it on my Creative Workshop site to get feedback from other Creative Workshoppers and see what flies. I write with intentionality and originality focusing on the professionals who will be reading these and keeping it human and creative and connecting and generous.
Yes, I want more business accounts. But first I want email receivers to know that my business consists of people who are caring and real and I believe then and only then will new accounts join us in the service we offer.
The jury is out as I create the emails and begin sending them to prospective customers next month, but this I know, Professionals deserve better than the advertising, complicated, and attention draining emails they are receiving in their daily inbox.
I aim to change that.
