Got a lot of writing? 3 tips to get it done — fast
There’s a lot of writing to do in your business. Newsletters, blogs, emails, video scripts, social media, presentations, handouts, bios, speaker one sheets. To say nothing of email campaigns, autoresponders, preview call opt-in pages and – gasp – full blown sales letters.
But the thing about writing is that it takes time.
And, I’d argue, a different part of your brain.
So, for many business owners, this writing thing is a pain in your hiney.
But a potentially very lucrative pain in your hiney.
See, when you do it right, you become like a really popular yoga teacher or bartender.
You know, the ones with a rock star following, who get paid better than all the other yoga teacher or bartenders, because they bring a crowd with them?
Writing helps you be like that.
You know, someone with an audience.
An audience that actually listens – and cares – what you have to say.
So much that they buy whatever it is you are selling. Without talking to you first.
That’s the dream, anyway. Back here in reality, you have a lot of writing to do. So here are a couple good ideas for how to get it done, in record time:
1) Make a list of deliverables. I just did a VIP day with a woman in the Writing Brigade who was clear that if her next launch didn’t work, her kids wouldn’t eat. So the first thing we did was list all the deliverables – JV packet, preview call opt in page, sales page – in order of what needs to get written first. Then, we assigned weeks to work on each. I’ve heard Tony Robbins teach this as “chunking.”
The other thing I suggest here is start with a simpler piece of a project first, for an early win. When I work on a launch with a client, we write the preview call topic, title, and opt in page first. For two reasons. One, it’s easier to wrap a brain around than a sales page. And two, when you nail a great title and lead, your theme comes into focus. You get excited. And you need that momentum and enthusiasm to do the heavy lifting – your sales letter.
2) Use a timer. This one isn’t new, but for many of us, it works like a dream. Get a kitchen timer (mine is a chicken) and when you sit down to write, time yourself. Many business owners find that 45 minutes is the sweet spot. But I’ve used 15 minutes to craft a promotional email. One client of mine used to take 4 hours to write her newsletter. Using this technique, she got it down to a little over an hour. That means 3 more hours in her week! She actually created more time.
3) Use a template. Everything you want to write to build business has been done before – in some version. So no need to create from scratch. Writing copy is like sewing… there is a pattern. Build a library of patterns for your commonly created writing projects – articles, free gifts, scripts, emails… whatever it is that you do on a regular basis. This will save you so much time, heartache and wasted energy.
I give students in my production labs templates of projects I’ve written that are proven to sell, but here’s the open secret: you can get them for free, out in Real Life. Just set up a Swipe File of other people’s copy – just make sure that you only study people who are actually making money (and not just people who are copying mindlessly, without understanding. Not to be harsh, but beware.)
So there you have it – 3 ideas to get your writing done, faster. The other thing that seems to help a lot of people is to put your Writing Date in your calendar, like an appointment.
Personally, when I have boatloads of writing to do, I’ll haul bottom to a café on Saturday mornings with my deliverables list, put my head down, and pretend I’m Vonnegut (the novelist, not the GE tech writer). Whatever it takes to get it done, you know?
Mighty thanks to ConfessionalPoet flickr photostream for the writing photo. To talk with Stella about how Stella Orange can help you get your writing done faster (and in your own voice), click here to set up a Project Consult.
What’s your favorite trick to get the writing done? Share it the comments below.
