It has been a common tagline for print ads and radio spots for generations. “No job is too big or too small, we do it all.” Variations of this theme can be found in ads for companies in virtually every industry as a common way to communicate a general openness to considering projects of all sizes.
Today, it means something much more literal.
At the time of this writing, I am sitting in a Chick-fil-A restaurant in St. Augustine, Fla., working on email newsletters and trying not to be overly distracted by the surprisingly compelling interaction between the eager-to-please staff and the waves of “guests” filling the dining area.
My house is having a bad week, and it turned to me for help. Being the handy guy I am, I turned to my phone. There was some water reaching my ceiling from the attic, so I called a roofer, who suggested meeting me at home within an hour, but he was turned away at the last minute by driving rain and a little lightning (wimp). He came first thing the next morning. The problem turned out to be AC-related, so the AC guy came the next day, and his name is on the truck.
I got a phone call this week from a client who does not hire me nearly as much as he used to. In fact, I haven’t written a story for his publication in a year or so. He says it’s because of budget cuts, but he apparently still had a phone, so I’m not so sure.
I just erased an entire blog post that was intended for this spot. I had an interesting anecdote to start things out and tied it to an important business principle, but when I read it back it bored me. It did not pass the “So What?” test, so I ditched it and started over.
As any parent with young children will tell you, kids have no problem asking questions. Even the simplest declaration can set off an avalanche of inquiries that would make the most experienced journalist proud. They leave no possibility unexplored and are committed to revealing every detail.
When writing a story for your email newsletter or blog that requires fact gathering via research or interviews, it is important for us to ask all the right questions as well. I have learned over the last 25 years or so that the most important part of the story-writing process is making sure to ask the questions that your readers would ask if they had the same opportunity.
I have developed somewhat of a bad habit at home. I don’t necessarily think it’s bad, but based on some recent body language I have received, I may need to rethink my position on it. Every once in a blue moon, I may correct someone on the way they are using a word or phrase. Not in an obnoxious way, of course, but more in the saying back the correct word in a childlike tone as if asking if that is what they really meant to say way.
See, I told you it wasn’t obnoxious.
As a longtime editor and reader of intern-penned articles, I often was faced with explaining why their papers were overwhelmed with red ink. My opening line was usually, “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Although, usually it was.
Other than your mom, spouse and kids (before they become teenagers), do people really know what makes you special? Do your clients actually understand what you bring to the table? Can they see beyond the obvious to the essential value of what you provide? If not, you may have a problem.
For lots and lots of people, creating relevant, compelling content for their email newsletters can be a grind — bordering on downright unpleasant. No matter how enthusiastic one is about their business, it often is hard to come up with three or four good topics — much less actually write about them.
