The day you became a better seller

Today is National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day.

Basically… just another weekday for anyone in sales.

This week on Stacked Seller, you’ll read the best writing advice ever published on the internet.

Written by Scott Adams in 2007 – it’s only 264 words, but it will change how you communicate in business.

So without further ado…

*Scott Adams writing now*

I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.” I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here so you don’t have to waste a day in class.

Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.

Simple means getting rid of extra words. Don’t write, “He was very happy” when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It doesn’t. Prune your sentences.

Humor writing is a lot like business writing. It needs to be simple. The main difference is in the choice of words. For humor, don’t say “drink” when you can say “swill.”

Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.

Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.

Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend “the boy hit the ball” quicker than “the ball was hit by the boy.” Both sentences mean the same, but it’s easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All brains work that way. (Notice I didn’t say, “That is the way all brains work”?)

That’s it. You just learned 80% of the rules of good writing. You’re welcome.

*End Scott Adams. Back to Stacked Seller.*

77% of buyers prefer email as their communication channel (source).

Yet most sales training is focused on speaking, not writing.

When Scott Adams wrote this masterpiece, he wasn’t speaking specifically to sales reps.

But the principles map perfectly.

So next time you start writing something important - pull up this short piece and reread it.

It’ll make you a better writer seller.

If you get ghosted, send this as a follow-up:

“James, have you given up on this project?”

It’s surprisingly effective at re-engaging prospects. I’ve revived more than a dozen stalled conversations with this exact line. (Stolen from the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss).

*Reply with your number. I’ll share the poll results in the next issue.