K. Wordbird Bate    The Writer's Life Coach

In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal.  In every heart there is the power to do it.  ~Marianne Williamson

     Last week we talked about the wonderful desire to send letters and comments, and the great impact they have on community and business. To follow that up, let's discuss specific ways to make those letters and comments more effective.

These are good practices to follow: 

Be short, clear and sweet.  No one likes to listen to someone go on in one self-indulgent run-on sentence. Have a point, and stick to it. Provide details: Why I'm writing. How this affects me. What I would like in terms of action or response.

Suggest a positive action or response. "I believe we need more town meetings." "Please send me a data sheet in the enclosed stamped envelope." "If you need volunteers, please phone me at the number below." "I find using your web site difficult. Can you change X?"  Always tell them what you want.

Be polite, confident and specific about complaints. Self-control and manners are powerful and impressive. It's easy and dull, to be critical. Be as articulate and gracious as you can, yet present a solid argument:  A solid argument means facts, details, names, dates, or your personal story. It's like this: In the past ten days the front page has had no news at all about X. Yet X is an important issue in my life and community because (say briefly why). I would like to see at least one article on X each week. This example identifies a specific concern, gives facts, shows why it matters, then asks for a specific change or response. That's powerful stuff.  

Look over their business, site or publication. Look for what they want from you.  Find out what they need. It may be a certain word limit, a media method they prefer you use to send your letter, a particular place to leave comments, or a person in charge to whom they'd like you to write. Respect those, and you dramatically increase their respect for you, and your odds of being heard.

Edit your work. Take just a moment, pause before you send, and read it over carefully. Ask someone to proofread it for you. Use Spellchecker if you have it, but don't rely on it entirely. Everyone makes mistakes and it's no criminal offense. Yet simple typos, missing words or spelling errors DO make you look exactly as you are: not paying attention. A powerful message contains no simple errors. It doesn't have to be perfectly written. It should show though that you cared enough to put time and care into it.

     Response. You may get a form letter, a denial, defensiveness, or no reply at all.  More likely and more often, you'll get a warm thank you, a delighted interchange, or as in this case, a reply that seeks to address your question.  Most places are grateful and relieved to get reasonable input from the public. Go to any web site and you'll see many people just complaining or venting. You'll see a few who offer thanks, or concerns with good solutions. Those few are well appreciated.

Invisible Influence. While you ask for a specific response, don't make assumptions if you don't get it. You have great influence, often far beyond what you imagine or had hoped. Also, keep in mind a business may be closed, moving, on vacation, or enduring a tax audit. They may be collecting input, adding your comments to a pile of comments, or perhaps they aren't wild about what you said, yet they are thinking about it or going to take it up at the next meeting. Don't take a lack of response, or a form letter, personally.

Places and people are slow to change. Yet, they do.

     For those times you really need a specific reply, and silence or a form letter is just not acceptable, you can use your writing skills to follow-up. Let's talk about that next time.

     Remember, be clear and gracious, give specific details, and ask for what you want.   In the case of compliments, let them know specifically what makes you happy about their product or what they've done. So they can keep on doing that!

Let Yourself Bloom!

© Kimberly Bate                                                                            

Photo by thuy_vuong