Thursday, July 25, 2013

Structure is Critical

A client called me the other day because he was having a hard time writing a response to an RFP.  Although he is an expert in his field, he was stymied.  He needed to complete it in short order but was baffled about where to start -- or where to go once he began.

This is not unusual: those with great knowledge often find that details begin to cloud the big picture.  It's hard to know how to organise thoughts when you know every intricacy of a field.

After 20 minutes phone consultation, during which we reviewed the necessary elements, the proper structure became apparent.

My client composed the piece and submitted it immediately after our discussion.  The good news: his firm received authorization to start the work the very same day.  His client was so impressed that she speeded up her company's approval process by sending a purchase order and asked for an invoice immediately.

Get the structure right, and the rest will follow.  Those who have worked with me on in-person communication know it's my mantra.  No less for anything we write.

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