Daft Punk has Some Good Advice About Writing
- Jul 4, 2014
- 3 min read
Quality writing is now more important than ever before in human history. It seems like a counter intuitive thing to say – what with television, the internet and cellphones – but it’s true nevertheless.
With email and text messaging, the written word has taken over speaking as our primary form of communication, according to the consulting firm TomiAhonen.
I know so many people who are hampered by their written skills, people who can climb no further up the corporate ladder because they can’t write an email. It’s sad and I wish I could say there was an easy fix but there isn’t. It’s an uphill battle all the way.
In the corporate world, we use text messaging and email far more frequently than the phone to communicate. It allows us to save time and be more productive in a day. Like that Daft Punk Song says: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, we need to improve our written communication.
The Pros and Cons of Emails and Text Messages
Texting and Emailing are extremely helpful tools if used properly, but the problem is that most of us don’t spend the time crafting well-worded, clear text messages or emails. You’re probably think I’m crazy writing about well-worded text messages but they are equally important as email or face-to-face communication. We’ve all seen those posts about how auto-correct changes your message to mean something completely unintended. Imagine if you sent those messages to your boss or to your work colleague?
It’s when we try and cut corners with writing—when we really need a lengthy email to explain our position – that we fall into trouble. This happens all the time and is becoming more common in the work place. Inevitably we end up spending more time back tracking or clarifying our position later on.
The Elevator Pitch
Everybody has heard about the elevator pitch. Back in the good old days – I suppose the Mad Men days – a seller would step into the elevator with a perspective client and he or she would have the amount of time it takes to get from one floor to the next to convince the perspective client to buy something. As a filmmaker, I’m pitching people stories all the time and a lot of that pitching is done through email or social media and for that I need clear and concise writing.
Even when you get a yes from a client, the client will want to see a written outline on paper. You need to hone those skills and make them better. Harder, better, faster, stronger.
Why you Need to Write Better Copy Faster
When I was in journalism school, the professor would give us a prompt and told to write as much as we could in 10 minutes. It taught me to think quickly and forced my brain to fire those electrons. As a reporter, you need to beat the competition to the punch, but also in the corporate world time is money. People get lazy with text messages because their time is valuable.
Let me stress that I don’t advocate quick copy over engaging copy; you need both in order to succeed. The faster and better you can craft a great document – be it a blog, a pitch, an email, a business plan – the more advantage you’ll have over your competition.
Writing quickly is an exercise that should be done in every English class. Shakespeare is great but if we had spent the time practicing writing quickly and clearly rather than studying Hamlet or King Lear we might have a society of better writers. Harder, better, faster, stronger.
But since we didn’t practice nearly enough in school you’ll have to take it on yourself and the only way to improve, like most things, is to actually do it. I would urge you to take the time to write a blog or a newsletter to your clients or audience. If you’re unsure about your writing ability then let somebody edit it for you.
I would love to hear what you think. How are your writing skills? The good news is that I’m now available to help you out in your blogging, newsletters or content marketing. Even if you have a question please shoot me a line at contact@joelmarkharris.com
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