Just Write an Email

How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I am a newbie writing you an e-mail after reading your ebook. How would you answer the question? I bet you could send me a 300 word reply in no time. Words would flow from your keyboard as fast as you can type. You have just written your next article. Don't think so? Too easy? Read the next paragraph.

Robert Allen has written you an e-mail. He needs you to write a chapter in a new book that he is putting together and he needs it in a week. Are you up to the task? Can you have it done in time? The theme of the chapter: the unique way that you sold your last product. Okay, start writing. How long did it take you to write the first sentence? A hour, two. Remember, millions of readers will be viewing the results.

If you want to, do both exercises above and compare the results. Which piece reads better? Which one sounds like a high school textbook? Read them aloud and I bet the answer becomes clearer. You would be proud to let anyone read the e-mail addressed to the newbie but create a pen name for the book chapter. Why is there a difference here? Both of the subjects were the same. The same person wrote both pieces. Or was it the same person?

In example one, you were yourself. You were just answering a question. You were more than happy to explain your knowledge to someone who just casually wrote you an e-mail. In example two, you became "the author". Maybe you had to outline the chapter first, make notes, research it. In other words, do as many things as possible to put off what you really sat down to do. Just write. After all, with thousands of readers critiquing your work, everything has to be perfect. There is no room for mistakes. And yet the e-mail reads better.

So why not write an e-mail. The next time you have a great idea for an article, turn that idea into a question and e-mail it to yourself. Well, you don't actually have to go that far, but if it helps, do it. Then all you have to do is reply to it. Don't worry about grammar. Don't worry about going off on a tangent. That tangent may be exactly what you need to make your article, oops, "e-mail" stand out. Just explain everything you need to in order to get your point across. If you need to, click "Create" in Outlook and start writing. Try it. And don't follow the instructions in the next few paragraphs until you are done with your e-mail.

When you are done, read it out loud. Any time you slow down or stumble over the words, cut those word out. Any part that sounds like your sixth grade English teacher instead of you, chop it. Take no prisoners. You will know your own voice when you hear it. Just listen for it. Your readers want a new perspective just as much as they want information. You are not writing for the New York Times and you definitely don't want to become Joe Friday. Slip the facts in with your personality and your readers will be flocking to your web site in search of more info. Or for that matter, they will be flocking just about anywhere you want them to flock.

Don't forget to make sure you covered everything that you needed to cover. If you need add a word here and rearrange paragraphs there, do so. Once the idea is alive in your e-mail, it is hard to kill it. Don't worry about that. Just make your e-mail complete. You will know when it is. You will get that feeling that is hard to explain, but involves printing your article out, sticking it to your refrigerator, telling your neighbors, and rehearsing for your Pulitzer Prize acceptance speech. If you notice any of these symptoms, your can now safely begin to refer to your "e-mail" as an article without killing it or triggering writer's block.

Use this method as described and I promise you will become a much more productive writer. So how did you make your last online sale? Write me an e-mail.

P. S. I did write this in Outlook and addressed it directly to you.

About The Author

Stephan Miller is a ebay seller, freelance programmer, writer, and webmaster at http://www.profit-ware.com Home of Hotbid Auction Market Analyzer

newsletter@profit-ware.com

---

One of the Best Ways to Cultivate New Business and Save Hours of Time is to Use an Autoresponder

An autoresponder gives you the ability to send messages effortlessly... Read More

RSS vs Email: Its Not An Either-Or Question

If you've been getting caught up in all this talk... Read More

Get Viral

Hey, using eBooks, eReports and eCourses is a fantastic way... Read More

The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes

Your newsletter's success depends on its design. An attractive, easy... Read More

Say More Than Thank You

Most Websites are gathering e-mail addresses. When you submit your... Read More

How To Get An Instant Response To Your Urgent EMail!

In the business world, "You've Got Mail" has turned into... Read More

Explode Your Sales By Building Your Own Opt-In List!

Top 10 Ways to Quickly Build Your List Have you... Read More

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and White Lists Explained.

Over 40% of all emails within your marketing campaign are... Read More

How To Use a Message Sequence to Increase Your Sales

If there's one thing I've learnt in over 3 years... Read More

Heres Why You Dont NEED a Blog

The word "blog" seems to be everywhere, and what an... Read More

Email Etiquette II

I had great feedback from my last article, and was... Read More

Do You Build Or Buy? (Tips On Leadgeneration)

Every marketer needs leads, they are the lifeblood of your... Read More

To Get Your Email To Stand Out From All The Junk

We know that email marketing is a cheap method to... Read More

To Lead or Not to Lead?

Working with Leads or Opt-In Clients can be very confusing... Read More

What Is An Email Signature And What Do I Do With It?

You hear it all the time... email signature, sig file,... Read More

Direct Marketing Strategies for Holiday Email Promotions

Tis the season to leverage customer interest data for successful... Read More

Email Advertising - How Ad Tracking Helped Create a Killer Ad

I recently undertook an email advertising promotion, using a number... Read More

Does Punctuation Really Matter in Email?

So much depends on choosing the correct mark of punctuation... Read More

14 Ways To Persuade Your Web Site Visitors To Give You Their Email Address

1. Ask visitors to subscribe to your e-zine. It's a... Read More

Viral Marketing with Your Signature File

Computer viruses are usually a bad thing. They can compromise... Read More

Lesson #1: Autoresponders 101

What the heck is an autoresponder?An autoresponder is much like... Read More

Three Phases to Email Sensitivity

The neurophysiological dynamics of understanding each email message are very... Read More

EMail Newsletter Marketing Essentials

If Gutenberg were alive today he would be in publishing... Read More

Writing Effective Emails

Sometimes email messages can get quite long, especially when you... Read More

E-mail 101: The Dos and Donts

Even though many people have been writing e-mails for a... Read More

How?s Your E-mail Etiquette

In a fast moving global economy, e-mail offers you the... Read More

Build or Buy--Should You Build Your Own Opt-in Email List?

The easiest way to acquire an email list for your... Read More

One Great Way To Generate A Lot Of Cold Hard Cash From Your Opt-In Email List

I bet you want to know what that one great... Read More

Promote Your Products Without Annoying Spam Filters

How many times have you realized that your email simply... Read More

Avoiding Blacklisting: Making Sure Your Email Gets Through

We all know that email is probably today's most popular... Read More

Email Marketing 2005?Do?s & Don?ts

Email Marketing 2005?Do's & Don'ts1. Make sure all your email... Read More

People Accusing You of Sending sp*am? Five Email Marketer Must Know Tips

People tend to forget their subscriptions. Sometimes they don't even... Read More

How to Structure an Email Follow Up Series

Marketers the world over use follow up autoresponders toincrease sales.... Read More