Writing Inrochester

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO′S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/ for full details)

*****Hero Confident*****

Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. Though the Hero is often perceived to be weak, he himself is confident - he (or she) has, after all, gained the required Expansion of Consciousness. In Straw Dogs (1971), David tells Amy to go to bed…”…I can handle this…..”

*****Foreshadow of the Rebirth*****

It is the Foreshadow of the Rebirth (previous to the Near Death Experience) where chalenges and a change in response to them is made explicit. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy doesn’t want to hide in the study with him anymore.

*****Using Magical Gifts*****

With the giving of Magical Gifts (that will aid the Hero’s Journey and help overcome obstacles) comes instruction in their use. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman tells David to break the gun.

*****Trivial Task*****

During the Period of Desolation, where the Hero is not committed to the Journey and Transformation, a Trivial Task sets the Hero on the right course. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), they steal another car.

****Mentor’s True Nature*****

It is during the First Threshold Outer Cave Trial that the Mentor’s True Nature often becomes apparent. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde gets attacked by the shopkeeper, knocks him out and says “..I ain’t against him…”

*****Hand-To Hand Battle*****

No one can defeat the Hero nor the Antagonist (the Antagonist is the Hero’s Id only he or she can defeat it). They gravitate towards each other and face each other. Initialy, the Antagonist is stronger (because the Hero is tackling his own psyche).

Status meets status, that is, the Hero’s Sidekick or Loyal Ally faces the Antagonist’s Lieutenant, Good Mentors face Dark Mentors etc. In Spiderman (2004), the Green Goblin and Peter eventually duel amongst themselves. In Superman 2 (1980), Superman and Zod face each other. In Gladiator (2000), Commodus’ forces allow the two to fight hand-to-hand.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at monomyth.info/ monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

You’ve identified the benefits you offer your customers, but how do you turn a list of benefits into engaging web copy which converts visitors into customers?

Recently I wrote an article explaining how to identify the benefits you offer your customers ( divinewrite.com/benefits.htm). That article challenged business owners and marketing managers to think in terms of benefits rather than features when writing their web copy.

What the article didn’t discuss was how to actually write the web copy once they had identified their benefits. That’s what this article is about. (It even gives you a couple of templates you can use to make your job a whole lot easier!)

As a website copywriter, many of the projects I undertake are completely new websites. The client has some general ideas about what they’d like to convey, but they need someone who can fine-tune their message, and create web copy (and a web structure) which engages their readers. As a result, over the years I’ve developed a process for doing this effectively. There are four main steps:

1) Identify benefits

2) Identify how you deliver these benefits

3) Prioritise your benefits

4) Write the content

Although this article touches on step 1, it’s mostly about steps 2, 3, and 4.

STEP 1 – IDENTIFY YOUR BENEFITS

Branding aside, most websites are about selling. Customers don’t want to know what you can do they want to know what you can do for THEM. That means the first question you should ask is, “What benefits do I offer my customers?” This is usually the first step toward identifying the key message to be conveyed.

That’s not to say that your website shouldn’t describe your products and services. You just need to make sure it describes them in terms of benefits to your customer.

But benefits identification is outside the scope of this article. If you’d like to find out more about how to engage your customer with benefits, go to divinewrite.com/benefits.htm.

STEP 2 – IDENTIFY HOW YOU DELIVER THESE BENEFITS

Of course, you can’t just claim to deliver benefits and stop at that. You need to support that claim. On your website, you’re going to need to convince your audience that you actually do deliver these benefits. Anyone can say they deliver benefits, but few can say it persuasively.

From step 1 you’ll have a list of benefits. Now you need to think about how you deliver each benefit in that list. This is where you start talking about features – price, product highlights, distribution channel, competitor weaknesses, external factors, USPs, etc. It’s helpful if you draw up a table with one column for benefits and one for the features which deliver those benefits. (Click divinewrite.com/downloads/benefitsfeatures.doc to download an example Benefits-Features table – 20KB.)

You’ll probably find this process much easier than identifying benefits. In fact, you’ve probably got most of this information written down already… somewhere. If not, chances are you uncovered a good portion of it when you were brainstorming for benefits.

TIP: If you’re having trouble identifying supporting features, before filling out the table, try listing everything you can think of which relates to what you do and how you do it. Don’t worry about the order. Just braindump onto a piece of paper, a whiteboard, a Word document, anywhere… Don’t leave anything out, even if it seems unimportant. (You’d be surprised how important even the most insignificant details can become once you start assigning them to benefits.) If you start getting lost, think back to the question you’re trying to answer: How do you deliver your list of benefits to your customer? Once you’ve done your braindump, read through it and decide which specific benefit each feature delivers.

STEP 3 – PRIORITISE YOUR BENEFITS

Now that you’ve identified all the things you COULD say, it’s time to figure out what you SHOULD say and where you should say it. This is where your benefits-features table comes into play. Read through your list of benefits and prioritise them according to how compelling they will be to your reader.

The reason for this? Priority determines prominence. The most compelling benefits will need to be prominent on your site.

TIP: Be aware that your list may include some benefits which everyone in your business category could claim. In other words, they’re not just specific to your company, but apply to the type of service you offer. For example, if you sell a Content Management System (CMS) for website creation, you may list “Greater control for marketing managers” and “Less expense updating content” as benefits. Every CMS vendor could claim these benefits, so you’ll need to question their importance. Will they differentiate you from your competitors. Generic benefits can be useful if none of your competitors are using them, or if you feel you need to educate your market a bit before launching into company-specific benefits.

STEP 4 – WRITE YOUR CONTENT

So now you know what you’d like to say, it’s time to decide how to say it. This is about three things:

i) Subject – What is the subject of your site; features or benefits?

ii) Structure – How do you structure your site such that your customers will read your most compelling benefits?

iii) Words – What words should you use to best engage your audience (and the search engines)?

The remainder of this article is dedicated to Subject and Structure. For further discussion of Words, see divinewrite.com/webwriting.htm and divinewrite.com/seocopy.htm).

Subject

What is the subject of your site; features or benefits? The answer to this question lies in audience identification. If your audience knows a bit about the type of product or service you’re selling, lead with features (e.g. processor speed, turnaround time, uptime, expertise, educational qualifications, wide product range, etc.). But make sure you talk about their benefits, and make sure the features offering the most important benefits are the most prominent.

Here’s a simplified example…

“Cool Widgets offers:

– Standard Operating Environment – Significantly reducing the complexity of your IT infrastructure

– System upgrades which are less expensive to license – Providing excellent TCO reductions”

In cases where you’re selling to an audience who knows very little about your product or service, lead with benefits (e.g. if you’re selling something technical to a non-technical audience).

Here’s the same simplified example, reversed for a novice audience…

“Cool Widgets offers:

– Reduced complexity of IT infrastructure – We can implement a Standard Operating Environment for your organisation

– Reduced TCO – We can upgrade your IT to systems which are less expensive to license”

Structure

How do you structure your site such that your customers will be sure to read your most compelling benefits? The answer is, keep it short ‘n sweet. And make it scannable. This doesn’t mean you have to cut features or benefits. You just have to structure your site to accommodate your message.

While every site is different, as a rule of thumb it’s a good idea to introduce your main features and benefits on your home page. Summarise them – preferably using bullet points, but at the very least, clearly highlight them so that your audience can scan-read (e.g. bold, underline, colour, link).

Then link from each summarised feature or benefit to a detailed description. Try to keep each page to approximately 200-400 words. You may need several pages to detail all your features and benefits. (Click divinewrite.com/downloads/pagestructure.doc to download a page structure template – 29KB.)

TIP: In cases where you need to introduce features and benefits which are generic to your field (rather than specific to your offering), your home page is generally the best place to do it. From there, you can lead to a second page summarising the specific features and benefits of your offering.

Conclusion

Web copy is about far more than just clever words. It’s essential that you identify the benefits you offer your customer, and that you can convince your customer you actually deliver those benefits.

I hope that the guidance and tools provided in this article will help you on your way to engaging web copy which converts to sales.

Happy writing!

* Glenn Murray is an divinewrite.com SEO copywriter and articlepr.com article submission and article PR specialist. He is a director of article PR company, Article PR, and also of divinewrite.com copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney 612 4334 6222 or at mailto:glenn@divinewrite.com glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit DivineWrite.com DivineWrite.com or ArticlePR.com ArticlePR.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to download his FREE SEO e-book.

If you want to charge up to ten times more money for whatever you’re selling…without touching, tweaking or even so much as adding one single thing to your product or service…then this article will show you how.

Check this out:

One of my favorite all time business and marketing quotes is from a guy named Dan Kennedy and it goes something like this:

Money moves in exchange for value

Sounds almost elementary, doesn’t it?

But think about it: The more value you can attach to whatever you’re selling in your ads…the more money you can reasonably be expected to charge for it.

And if you focus less on the “mechanics” of your ads (i.e. the writing, the structure, the guarantee, etc) and more on creating more value in your copy…then you will bring in significantly more money automatically. Whether your copy is “world class” or not.

Let me give you an example of one way this can be done.

Let’s say you’ve created an information product called “How To Triple The Value Of Your Home…Without Spending Any Extra Money!”

This product is comprised of a 500-page manual, two videos, 3 audio tapes and 11 additional special reports, each of which will further show the customer how to literally triple the value of her home, without spending any extra money.

And let’s further say you charge a whopping $10,000 for this product.

Does that sound like a lot for a 500-page manual and some tapes? It does only if you don’t explain the value they’re getting.

Because, you see, in this case, if you think about it, if you triple the value of someone’s home, then when it comes time to sell it, they will probably be getting ten times their $10,000 “investment” in your product back.

And if you simply explain that fact in your copy, you essentially create more “value” for your product out of thin air. And make it a “no-brainer” to order. In fact, if you do this right, people will feel there is no real choice in the matter. They’ll almost feel like an idiot if they DON’T order from you.

But that’s just one example.

You can do this with almost anything. The key to creating value for your product right in your copy — without adding anything to the product itself — is to simply explain value in a way that makes the price irrelevant.

Ben Settle is a direct response copywriter and author of “The Copywriter’s Cheat Sheet” — which contains over 300 pages of advanced copywriting secrets and rare swipe file ads not easily found anywhere else. You can

Proofreading a paper can be a time consuming and complicated task for some. This is primarily due to the fact that many people don’t know how to correctly proofread a paper. These people are in luck, because I have compiled a list of the most helpful proofreading tips. No matter what your document is about, these proofreading tips will help you finally perfect that paper you spent so much time writing.

Always proofread a hard copy of a document. If you are proofreading a paper of a monitor you will be more likely to miss your errors.

Proofread at an alert time of day. You will be better focused and more prone to find errors.

If all possible, find another person to proofread your paper after you do so yourself. That person may find further mistakes that you missed.

Read your paper out loud. You can use this method to easily spot out wrongly phrased sentences.

Look for errors you commonly make first.

Proofread in a relaxed but focused manor. This will make you more likely to find errors within your document.

Proofread your paper for one type of error at a time.

Don’t proofread directly following the completion of writing your paper. Take a small break to let yourself recuperate.

Check format; this includes bold, italics and underlining. Make sure these are all correct. - Always have a dictionary handy. it’s the quickest and safest way to make sure your spelling is in check.

A thesaurus is always a good idea as well. A dictionary and thesaurus are two basic proofreading tips everyone should follow.

Take it one sentence at a time. Read every sentence in an individual manner and make your corrections accordingly.

After you correct an error, remember to reread that sentence to make sure you made the right changes.

The second half of the paper is more likely to have errors. Proofread that half first.
You can use a ruler or straight edge to go view the paper one line at a time.

By reading your paper backwards you are more likely to find spelling errors in your paper. This helps you look more directly at individual words.

Don’t rely on spellchecker. Always go back and make sure spellchecker made the right changes to your paper.

You can read you paper backwards one sentence at a time to single out individual
sentences.

Read your paper once again even after you proofread it. This helps ensure you didn’t miss any errors.

Pat O’Sullivan is an esablished and creditable online writer. You can read more of his articles at patsblogs.com patsblogs.com

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/ for full details)

*****Shape Shifter Revealed and The Red Herring*****

The shape shifter’s true nature becomes apparent [post the Rebirth through Death]. In The Incredibles (2004), Bomb Voyage assists the Incredibles to escape.

Red Herrings and misdirections are toyed with and implemented. In Star Wars (1977), Han considers “leaving this party.” In Syriana (2005), we are led to believe that it is Whiting who will be sacrificed. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), we are led to believe that Severus Snape is a threat.

***Unwilling Allies to the Sword*****

Because the Journey to the Sword is often suicidal and impossible:

Allies are Unwilling. Many allies refuse to journey with the Hero. Often the Romantic Challenge is an obstacle. In Carlito’s Way (1993), Gail distances herself from Carlito when he agrees to help break Tony T out of prison.

Persuading Allies. Critical allies have to be persuaded to help on the Journey to the Sword - it is a dangerous mission. In Star Wars (1977), Han Solo and Chewy are resistant to rescuing Leia until Luke persuades them.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at monomyth.info/ monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Mark Twain once said that it took him three weeks to prepare an impromptu speech. This is a luxury you may not have when someone says, “Could you give us a brief overview of that project your team is handling?”

There are several methods to help you wing an off-the-cuff talk in an organized fashion.

Past. Present. Future. Begin with a quick overview of what happened in the past as it relates to your topic. Then, state the current situation. Finally, discuss what will or could happen in the future. Then, provide a brief summary.

PREP Method. PREP is an acronym for Point. Reason. Example. Point. First, make your point. State your reason for making the point. Give an example that justifies your reason. Finally, drive home the point, linking the conclusion to the opening.

Who, What, How, When, Where Method. The name explains it. You state who is involved, what they are doing, how they got involved, when it will happen and where it will happen. Then, summarize.

Cause. Effect. Remedy. State what has caused the problem. What effect it is having on the state of things. And, then propose a remedy to the situation. All of these methods can help you organize your thoughts before you deliver your impromptu remarks. But there are a few more things to remember when you are asked to talk at a moments′ notice.

Take time to collect your thoughts. Focus your thoughts on the topic, and block out any negative thoughts such as being unprepared. Smile. Talk directly to the audience, and adapt your presentation based upon audience feedback.

Be brief and to the point. Don’t rush. Keep smiling.

If you use one of these methods and follow these tips, you’ll look like a pro.

Ty Boyd, CEO of Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, is in the Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Speakers Hall of Fame. He has taught tyboyd.com public speaking and presentation skills to Fortune 1000 executives in more than 40 countries. hs.ntarget.com/hs50/hsrun.hse/nTargetLink/nTargeҊLink/nTargeҊLink.htxstart=ListForm?C=1845046619 Zipline is Ty’s award-winning monthly enewsletter.

If you really want to capture the attention of your readers, spend some time reviewing your writing; the readers should feel as though they are sitting with you and listening to you tell them a story about how to do whatever your book is about. After a while, you will find yourself writing this way naturally and you will get feedback from your readers telling you how much they appreciate the conversational tone of your book.

The people that buy a book about how to do something are not interested in having you tell them how wonderfully you do something or how wildly successful you are at doing it, they are expecting you to tell them how to do it, and not in a condescending manner. If you convey an image of superiority and write to them as if they are stupid, you are going to lose many readers fast.

When you write your book and when you write things to promote it, step back and think about how you are coming across to the reader. You can capture their attention with a conversational tone to your writing and give them examples of your personal experiences, but do not make your experiences sound like boasting. Your reader bought your book because they felt you were credible and know the subject. You do not have to fill the book with things that do nothing but annoy the reader, in fact, avoid writing anything that could be construed as self-promoting unless your book is supposed to be a “How Wonderful I Am And Why Everyone Should Adore Me,” type of biography.

Much of this applies to promotion as well. I have seen all kinds of promotional pages all over the web and I am sure you have too. Do you get as tired of the hype as I do? When I read someone’s marketing page, I really do not care how successful they have been at doing whatever it is they are marketing, I want to know what it can do for me and I do not what it blown out of proportion. I want to know what the realistic expectations are, what it requires of me, what tools are available for me to use to draw my own conclusions, and some credible independent reviews by others that have tried the product. If the promotional materials are hyped, then I expect the entire book to be hyped as well. If the marketing materials present things to me as if I am an idiot, then I would expect the same treatment from the book, and I do not really want to pay for anything that treats me like an idiot, do you?

Michael E. Mould is the author of “Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips,” [Paperback ISBN 1427600708, CD-ROM ISBN 1599714876] and the developer of “Bookkeeping for Booksellers” [CD ISBN 1427600694], you can learn more about online bookselling at:

It was Wednesday, 10:45 on a cold, overcast San Francisco morning. I was up next to give a three-minute talk on anything that came to mind. Nothing structured, rehearsed or memorized. It was ad lib—but not for the sake of filling the air with chatter. I was to allow a connection to arise.

Which is such a refreshing breakthrough…

Because when you are speaking in front of a group, people are listening. There’s a synergistic relationship that develops. You are giving, and they are receiving.

But it doesn’t end there…

Part of the same equation is they are giving, and you are receiving. This continues the synergy. They give you their support while you are listening to them.

This is the most powerful combination in communicating. When you and your audience become one. Like two dancers who are so tuned with each other, magic happens.

The audience can’t help but be engaged with you because you are with them, and they are with you. You are not the soloist. But your relationship becomes a solo.

For the first time ever, I brushed off those butterflies in my stomach. I was not a performer trying to receive applause, approval or acceptance. I didn’t have to be perfect. I delighted in being me.

Which allowed the audience to delight in themselves.

I didn’t have to be polished. I didn’t have to count how many “ums” I committed. And I didn’t have to put on an act to puff up my abilities, or hide my inadequacies.

It was deliciously liberating.

I gravitated toward community. I quickly let go of self-consciousness. And in its place I embraced authentic generosity.

I put my stage fright to rest because I was no longer on stage. The spotlight was no longer on me. The audience and I became the stars.

Here’s how you can create that same magic:

1) To begin, take a deep breath. For three to five seconds. Receive their support. Don’t rush into your speech. Allow this sacred moment to acknowledge them.

This begins the absorbing process. Like a sponge, they will absorb your words and your presence. You will absorb their support and their presence.

2) The best preparation is none. When you speak from memory, you tend to sound mechanical. And this will create a disconnect. When this occurs, your audience will wander.

Whether you are or aren’t familiar with your subject—speak from your heart. Let your inner speaker communicate with the inner listener. This is where the real connection occurs.

3) Connect with available eyes. Avoid staring or forcing a connection. Allow for one to develop naturally. And never stare at one fixed spot or perform a sporadic glance.

Your soft eyes will draw people closer. Without trying. Even if you’re speaking to tens of thousands, the crowd will focus on your eyes through the huge screens.

4) Avoid falling in love with your topic. Instead, fall in love with your audience. When they feel appreciated, they will return the affection.

If you love your topic more, they will know. You’ve put up an invisible wall. Your presence is lost. And they will not return their affection.

5) Receive their appreciation. After your close, take in their love and support. Don’t shy away from their applause. And don’t run off prematurely.

They appreciate you as much as you them. It’s doesn’t end until the applause stops. You are still in their consciousness until then.

These are the steps to creating that speaking magic. When you let go of communicating outwardly and allow the inner speaker to arise—you’ll enjoy a deeper connection that will leave people wanting for more.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy’s Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at tommyyan.com/” target=”_blank www.TommyYan.com.

If you’re a speaker, trainer, coach, or a consultant—the major challenge you face is connecting with your audience. You talk, shout, or recite your message while they are dreaming about dinner.

Their eyes are glossy, their minds′ elsewhere, and their bodies ready to bolt. You don’t have a lot of time, so you′ve got to grab their attention fast. Or else, you′ll die wrestling against audience resistance.

tommyyan.com/makinglove.html But it doesn’t have to be this way…

Bellow are four simple tips to constructing search engine friendly headlines

1. Leave out common and fluff words - Fluff words like ‘powerful’ and ‘best’ and ‘greatest’, as well as most common words (a, an, the, of, for,) are ignored by the search engines. Including these ignored words takes up valuable headline real estate, and rarely adds anything to the appeal of your headline.

Even worse, some overly used fluff words, those associated with heavy sales hype, can actually cause your search engine listing to be reduced.
So leave out the fluff.

2. Include product specific key words in the headline - Absolutely include the product specific key words that describe what your product, service, or web site is about.
Example, if you have a training DVD showing how to use the Nikon D70 camera, your headline should be something like:

THE NIKON D70 MADE EASY, 2 Training DVD’s Video

That headline includes the most important keywords for this product: Nikon D70, Training DVDs, Easy.

3. Place the product specific keywords first in the headline - Place the most important product specific keywords at the front of the headline. This gives higher search engine ranking, and pulls the reader into the rest of the headline.

Example: The NIKON D70 MADE EASY, 2 Training DVD’s Video

The keywords ‘NIKON D70′ will grab owners of the D70 and pull them into the rest of the headline.

4. Use short hand English - Short hand English is a way of writing that gets the message across, but doesn’t exactly conform to the rules of english composition. With shorthand English you can pack a big message in minimal number of words. Shorthand usually involves eliminating all unnecessary words, and replacing them with words that send a message.

Most newspaper and magazine headlines use shorthand in their headlines - because they work at gaining maximum attention in minimal space.

My name is Dave, an internet researcher. I got this article from a friend of mine concerning achieving the best from Internet search engines.

Why does one speech become a gotta-get-that-speaker-or-die while another falls flat, flips or flops? The BIGGEST reason: It’s ALL in the title! Which speech or seminar would you put out big bucks and stand in line to hear: “The IRS Tax Code of 1986″ vs “How to Avoid Paying Income Taxes this Year and EVERY Year”?

Benefits are the key to a GREAT speech or book title. Offer your audiences lots and lots of benefits (see Rule #5, below)

Rule #1 for a good (or better yet, a GREAT) speech title: If the Meeting Planner has to ask “What’s it about?”, you’ve got the wrong title. Your title should have them saying “I want to hear this speech” or “How soon can I attend this seminar?”

We’ve all heard the expression “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” This applies to speech titles as well as appearance. I came out of the Dale Carnegie era. In the middle 1950s I enrolled in both his courses. Each ended up as a book with a sizzling title that sold and still sells, each with a point that is helpful to speakers.

The textbook for his most popular course is “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Think about this. Dale wrote this book in 1937. It outsold every book except the Bible. Carnegie’s title, in addition to perfect timing (right after the Depression), has TWO BENEFITS: Winning friends–and influencing people. Carnegie followed with book #2: “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,” another best seller, also with two benefits. Who in this life does not want to stop worrying or start living?

Rule #2 for a great speech title is to create one that sizzles and sells: Offer the buyer or customer specific, appealing benefits that will get you booked by a discerning meeting planner. Your speech title must appeal to two different audiences, the meeting planner and the audience. The challenge is two-fold, to capture the fancy of the meeting planner for his or her job requirements, politics, boss, group, organization, etc., and then meet or beat the perceived needs or wants of the audience. The title must please both parties.

The criteria are simple: It must satisfy a want, meet a need, answer a question or fulfill a curiosity — benefits, benefits, benefits. What benefit does your speech title offer your attendees? Will it help them grow hair, lose weight, improve their love life, get more freedom, make a difference or make more money? (Just kidding… or am I?) Here’s some easy homework: On your next visit to the grocery store, buy a copy of the National Enquirer and Reader’s Digest. (Yes, they are tax deductible for business research purposes). These two publications are outstanding examples, each with dozens of titles that SELL. Study the titles and the content, then the titles once again. Analyze what makes them work.

Rule #3 for a great speech title is start yours with “How to…?” When my son Joe was about 10, he commented to my adult friends “My dad will buy any book with the title that begins with ‘How to’.” Check your own book shelves. What do they reveal about you? I searched our local library via the internet and found more than 5,700 books in print whose titles begin with “How to.” Consider “how to” make your speech title catchier by starting it with “How to …?”

Rule #4 for a great speech title is to upgrade the obvious (but possibly somewhat dull) title into an appealing one with creativity, imagination and emphasis–code for “have fun with this.” My first seminar was titled “How to Get the Job You Want.” Later I decided I could do better than that and changed it to “How to Get the Job You REALLY Want.” Attendance (and income) increased. But the seminar (and subsequent book) really took off when I added, “and Get Employers to Call You.” Benefit, benefit, benefit. The expanded title, “How to Get the Job You Really Want and Get Employers to Call You” has gotten me on 628 radio talk shows, which sold more than $357,000 in book sales ALL at full retail. I was on a roll.

I had entitled another popular speech, “How to Get On Radio Talk Shows.” I’ve used the title for over 16 NSA chapters and publishing associations across the U.S., and this title continues to draw large audiences everywhere. After I used “creativity, imagination and emphasis,” my second book came out with the title “How to Get On Radio Talk Shows All Across America Without Leaving Your Home or Office.” My latest work started out with the obvious title, “How to Build Your Successful Homebased Business? After I used “creativity, imagination and emphasis,” this hot-seller was entitled “Have Fun * Make Money * Stay Home: Building Your Successful Homebased Business.” Again, Benefits, Benefits, Benefits. This is the key to a GREAT speech or book title. Offer your audiences lots of benefits.

Now let’s get down to business, your business. Here’s the formula to help YOU create YOUR speech title that sizzles and sells. First ask six to eight friends over for dinner and a brainstorming session. Yes, you feed them first. Next, without any explanation, read your title to your friends, pause, repeat it a second time. Then ask them to vote (with a show of hands) “How many of you would give this a 10, 9, 8, 7 etc.” This will give you the pulse of your audience. Ask for feedback “Why did you give this an eight?” “Why did you give this a two?” Remember people love to give their opinions. Companies pay big money for surveying what people want; they call it market research

Next, ask your audience for ideas to strengthen your title. By this time you will have come up with 5-10 possible titles. Thank your friends for their dedicated hard work. Then type these five to ten titles on a sheet of paper and fax them to a dozen or so other friends. Ask these people to circle the ONE BEST TITLE that they would consider booking or buying and fax the result back to you. You may wish to survey local meeting planners and ask for their opinions.

Rule #5 for a great speech title is to extol Benefits, Benefits, Benefits. This is the key to a GREAT speech or book title. Offer your audiences lots of benefits. Make the Joe Sabah five-rule formula work hard for you… but only if you do. Get started today. Create the title of your next best selling speech or book.

Five Rules for Great Speech Titles 1. If the Meeting Planner has to ask “What’s it about?” you have the wrong title. 2. Create a speech title that “sizzles and sells” 3. Start your speech title with “How to…?” 4. Upgrade the obvious title with creativity, imagination and emphasis 5. Extol Benefits, Benefits, Benefits

Joe Sabah has appeared as a guest on 628 radio talk shows. He sold more than $357,000 worth of his first book. His second book, How to Get On Radio Talk Shows All Across America Without Leaving Your Home or Office, has already passed the $258,000 mark His latest book is Have Fun * Make Money * Stay Home: Building Your Successful Homebased Business. Joe is also founding president of the Colorado Speakers Association and has been a member of NSA (National Speakers Association) since 1982. Joe Sabah can be reached at 303-722-7200, fax 303-733-2626, email mailto:JSabah@aol.com JSabah@aol.com.