Jamie presented "Write. Connect. Get Results." during the first annual Women's Leadership Conference. The presentation includes tips and ideas to improve your writing. As Jamie demonstrates, you can connect with your audience to get the results you need. By implementing just a few of these tricks, you will see an immediate improvement in your writing. For more details about this conference, visit http://wlconferencesc.com.

1. Write. Connect. Get Results.
Jamie Gillenwater
Women’s Leadership Conference
March 30, 2012
Little River Multicultural Complex, Hodges, SC

2. About Jamie
 Bachelor’s degree in English with Professional
Writing emphasis, Lander University
 Global Technical Documentation
Specialist, Capsugel
 Member & chapter secretary, Carolina
Chapter, Society for Technical Communication
 Member, Connect Young Professionals
 Member, Women’s Leadership Council

3. Get Results.
What are you looking for?

4. What Results are You Looking for?
 Increase sales
 Build rapport
 Raise funds
 Increase attendance
 Publish article
 Build peer connections
 Find a new job
 Increase brand awareness

5. Ask Yourself ‘Why?’
Why Do I Really Want Those Results?
 Why do I really want to increase sales?
 To increase commissions to take better vacation
 To receive promotion by end of the year
 To provide greater stability in career
 Why do I really want to publish an article?
 To gain credibility in my field
 To share my experience with new professionals
 To prove to myself that I am as capable as my
peers

6. Connect.
How do I connect with the right people?

7. Who Can Help You Get Those Results?
 Potential clients
 Publishers
 Industry experts
 Advertisers
 Mentor
 Donors
 Managers
 Employers

8. Your Motives Directly Affect Your Results.
High Average Low
Achievers Achievers Achievers
Care about people as Concentrate on Are preoccupied with
well as profits production their own security
View subordinates Focus more on their Show a basic distrust of
optimistically own status subordinates
Are reluctant to seek
Seek advice from those
advice from those Don’t seek advice
under them
under them
Avoid communication
Listen well to everyone Listen only to superiors & rely on policy
manuals
— Jay Hall, Teleometrics study
as featured in Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

9. How Do I Establish That Relationship?
 Writing does not invade your connection’s
personal space
 Writing allows your connection to respond when
she is available
 Writing allows you to provide the details you want
to provide
 Writing allows you to refine your communication
before sending it

10. Write.
Your words matter.

11. Know Yourself. Know Your Audience.
 Use your natural tone.
 Adjust your message for your audience.
 Meet your audience’s expectations.

12. KISS
 Be specific in word choice.
 F amiliar
“Plain English gets
 Unique
its meaning across
 R ich
clearly and
 Y our favorite
concisely to its
 Avoid ambiguity. intended audience.”
 Iraqi Head Seeks Arms *
— The Plain English Campaign
 Farmer Bill Dies in House * (http://www.devon.gov.uk)
 Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges *
 Help Abused Children Shoot a Hole in One
* http://www.plainlanguage.gov

13. Be Direct.
 I am considering
buying 500 of your
widgets. Could you “Use
please let me know short words,
whether there is a short sentences
volume discount for and
that number and what short paragraphs.”
it would be? — David Ogilvy,
“How to Write” memo to
Ogilvy & Mather employees
 How much do 500 of
your widgets cost?
—Kenneth W. Davis, Manage Your Writing
http://www.manageyourwriting.com/2012/03/if-you-want-an-answer-ask-a-question.html

14. Which is Better?
“Sir, my goal is to succeed. I plan to do that by
working hard to provide value and service to our
clients and my co-workers. … I would be honored to
work with your firm and hope I am blessed with the
opportunity.”
“Sir, your goal is success. You want hard work, you
want value, you want outstanding service to your
clients and to all of your employees. … It would be an
honor to work for such a firm, your firm, a firm that
wants everything I do, and I want to work for you.”
— Bill Peer, commenter on “Attitude Makes a Huge Difference When Trying to Get a Job”
http://www.businessinsider.com/attitude-makes-a-huge-difference-when-youre-trying-to-get-a-job-2012-2

15. Which is Better?
“Sir, my goal is to succeed. I plan to do that by
working hard to provide value and service to our
clients and my co-workers. … I would be honored to
work with your firm and hope I am blessed with the
opportunity.”
“Sir, your goal is success. You want hard work, you
want value, you want outstanding service to your
clients and to all of your employees. … It would be an
honor to work for such a firm, your firm, a firm that
wants everything I do, and I want to work for you.”
— Bill Peer, commenter on “Attitude Makes a Huge Difference When Trying to Get a Job”
http://www.businessinsider.com/attitude-makes-a-huge-difference-when-youre-trying-to-get-a-job-2012-2

16. Empathy Index
Them
- Us
Score
Them 24 40
Us - 40 -24
Score -16 16

17. Get a Response from E-mails.
DO use Do NOT use
 Apply  Confirm
 Opportunity  Join
 Demo  Assistance
 Connect  Speaker
 Payments  Press
 Conference  Social
 Cancellation  Invite
— Sarah Kessler, Mashable
http://mashable.com/2012/02/09/boomerang-email-infographic/

18. Do More.
 Sarah is a neurologist. Her patients have neurological
disorders.
 Sarah treats patients with neurological disorders.
 The Gold Award was presented to XYZ Company.
 The XYZ Company received the Gold Award.
 I am planning to take a vacation this summer, if I save
enough money.
 If I save enough money, I am planning to take a vacation
this summer.

19. Tell a Story.
 Introduce current reality
 Offer potential solution
 Show new reality
Be the Hero!

20. Write. Connect. Get Results.
Can you make these methods work for you?
— Kaihan Krippendorff, Fast Company
http://www.fastcompany.com/1822792/using-great-storytelling-to-grow-your-business

21. Recommended Reading
Books
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most
Effective People Do Differently
by John C. Maxwell
Business Writing for Results: How to Create a Sense of
Urgency and Increase Response to All of Your Business
Communications
by Jane K. Cleland
Quick Reference
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

22. Jamie Gillenwater
E-mail: jamie.gillenwater@gmail.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegillenwater
Twitter: @j_gillenwater
Cell Phone: 864.980.2521
To view the presentation slides online, visit
http://www.slideshare.net/jgillenwater.