Writing With Passion and Power

Writing with Passion and Power:

An Essential Leadership SkillDalya Massachi & Denise Hinden

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Today’s Speakers

Hosting:

Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership

Dalya MassachiFounder,

Writing for Community Success

Assisting with chat questions: April Hunt, Nonprofit Webinars

Denise HindenPresident,

Managance Consulting and Coaching

slides ©2011 Dalya F Massachi

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WRITING WITH PASSION AND

POWER:An Essential Leadership Skill

Presenters: Dalya F. Massachi and Denice R. Hinden

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DEFINITION, ANYONE?

Writing to share info and enthusiasmabout your work with interested peoplewho may want to exchange their support for the benefits you offer.


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RESULTS TO EXPECT

Position your work as cutting-edge and worthy of support

Engage new and varied audiences

Better educate and motivate

Become a respected thought leader





“Writing is the only thing

that, when I do it, I don't

feel I should be doing

something else.” -- Gloria Steinem


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ABC’S OF COPYWRITING

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A:

ADVANCE YOUR BRAND

What your work stands for

What you want to be known for

Your essence or identity



EXAMPLES

What do you think or feel when you hear these organizations’ names:

American Red Cross

Amnesty International

National Geographic

They have built their brands over time.



YOUR UNIQUENESS:

So powerful that it gets noticed and gets people talking about you.

Under-served clients, location, etc.

Outstanding credentials or experience

Extensive collaborations

Unusual point of view or approach

Ask yourself: When someone hears about your work, what images, feelings, and ideas do you want them to associate with you? What’s amazing, special, and inspiring about your work?




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B:

ENGAGE SPECIFIC READERS

Funders

Clients

Journalists

Activists

Colleagues

Researchers

Web surfers

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ASK WHAT THEY WANT

1. What do they want from reading your materials? Is it hard data? Emotional involvement? Probably a mixture. (Emotions are stronger than facts.)

2. What problems can you help your readers solve?



EXAMPLE:

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR

As a middle-school science teacher, you are always looking for fresh, up-to-date material on today’s pressing issues. With diminishing resources in our public schools, you may find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the times.

On the EnviroClass website, you will discover a wealth of high-quality classroom resources updated every semester! Get teaching materials that will inspire your students with dozens of lively discussion starters coupled with engaging and educational indoor and outdoor activities.



HOW DO WE FIND OUT?

Review event and service evaluation forms

Take online or print surveys (with incentive)

Hold focus groups

Check web statistics

Attend gatherings where they congregate

Review media that reflect their mindset

Ask others who also know about them



C:

EMPHASIZE BENEFITS

MORE THAN

FEATURES.

Feature: Component or characteristic

of what you offer

Benefit: How the features improve the

lives of people in your community and

satisfy their needs and desiresslides ©2011 Dalya F Massachi


BENEFITS ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS:

What does the organization’s work mean for your community?

What will happen as a result of the particular features you offer?

For each feature you offer, ask “So what?” How does that lead to something better for my reader and/or the community?

“What’s in it for me and us?”



EXAMPLE:

MASSAGE FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

A donation of $100 will buy a new clinic massage table.

(So what?)

So our volunteer therapists can provide 50 additional revitalizing, healing massages per week to cancer patients in our community.

(So what?)

So they will enjoy happier, healthier, more productive, and longer lives and YOU will be making that happen.




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A FEW TOP

WRITING TECHNIQUES

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CONNECT PERSON-TO-PERSON

Be reader-centered,

NOT writer-centered

Think and write “you” (the reader)

Briefly communicate shared values

Use their language

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SHARE STORIES

Capture the essence of your work with

short scenes and quotes from people similar to

your target readers or people they care about.

How have they benefited: results and importance

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SHOW, DON’T JUST TELL

Convey 1-2 striking details/examples

Show HOW your solution benefits folks

Use metaphors and similes to compare your topic to a more familiar one.

Ask yourself: How would you illustrate the concept in a photo or video?

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WRITING COACHING:

SAMPLE

(using some ideas from

the “Editing Checklist”)

Type in YOUR suggestions, too!

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How would you complete these

2 sentences:

The purpose of the piece is to advance my organization's brand by: __________________________________.

The piece aims to engage its specific intended readers, who are: _______________________________.

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“Picking Up the Pieces”INTRO: We, as human beings, put a lot of

ourselves into our work. Our work is a reflection of who we are and what we stand for. We plan, organize, and execute, and then we have faith that our hard work and perseverance will yield the desired results.

However, this isn’t always the case. Maybe an idea wasn’t approved, money was stolen, a new program was ineffective, or negative feedback was received. Organizational crises such as these challenge our reputation and shake the foundations of our faith. It is up to us to pick up the pieces and put them back together.

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A famous case study of the Albany Medical Center was explored and written by Judith R. Saidel and Kathleen Fletcher of Boardsource, a premier resource for board members and executive directors worldwide.

The Center found itself in the midst of fiscal duress and frequent leadership turnover, both potentially disastrous situations. The board members of the organization proposed some key suggestions that ultimately kept the organization afloat.

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They knew it was vital to find an individual capable of filling the roles that were so frequently changing. So they proposed that the current board chair also serve as the Chief Executive Officer.

Once he accepted his new position, monthly luncheons and breakfasts with the board members were put into place. This allowed the board members to keep the CEO in check and permitted open and frank discussion regarding the state of affairs.

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The authors of the case study attribute the diverted crisis to the fact that the position was filled by the appropriate individual and that the crisis was understood by all members of the organization.

If your non-profit is faced with a similar organizational crisis, how do you keep your faith and move forward?

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1) Don’t dwell on it. While it may be easier to let a setback get the best of you, it is much wiser to rise above it. However, getting hung up on an event in the past will only keep you from moving on from it. When you are able to overcome an obstacle that you are faced with, you are not only proving your strength to others, you are proving it to yourself.

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2) Explore other options. As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. Use this setback as an opportunity to try something new or take an idea in a different direction. Think of it as a challenge, not a failure.

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3) Compensate for the loss. If any damage was caused by the negative event, deal with it immediately. Letting the damage go unaddressed will only make it seem like a bigger deal later on. Once you have addressed any negative outcomes of the obstacle, you can put it all behind you and move forward.

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END:

Think about the last time faith in your non-profit organization was shaken. What about it affected you the most and what can be done to deal with it effectively? What helps you to personally cope with events that have negative outcomes?

For more information: URL’s…

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YOU CAN…

Encourage a “writing-positive” culture at YOUR organization, where you all work together to focus on your writing.

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2 TIPS:

Stay focused and small, with no more

than 5 other people.

Carefully consider all comments.

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More info at: http://bit.ly/hxP6N3

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©2011 Dalya F Massachi


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Writing With Passion and Power