Recently, I had a conversation with my physician.  As she was giving her explanation, I got lost in the conversation because it became overly clinical.  I realized she was speaking from her point of view but got lost in her overly complicated explanation.  After asking more questions, I finally was able to understand what she was trying to get across in the first place.

As a professional, we are indoctrinated into what we do best.  Sometimes our explanations are more technical/clinical than the listener can understand.  It becomes more prevalent as we jump from writing for a peer or technical journal to an article for a reader in a magazine.  Each of us brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about what we do best.  This can get lost in translation if we don’t step back and see it through the readers eyes.

When you are writing, have another person who is not a part of your industry, read your article for

• Clarity on subject - Can they understand clearly what the subject is?
• Non-technical words - Writing to the level of a 9th grader.  Can this person understand what you are trying to get across?
• Being clear and concise - Are we telling someone how to build the clock instead of telling time?
• Call to action - Readers want to take our advice.  What is it?
• Powerful closing - Leaving them with a single message they can remember and remember YOU.

As we write our articles for “Healthy Profits”, keep in mind that the reader is

• any age group (18-70+)
• any industry (retail, manufacturing, medical, government, etc…)

When we are deliberate to see it from their point of view, what an impact we will make!

What makes a great “read”?  It’s starts with the title.  Captivating titles make us stop and pay attention to the author and their work. 

For example,

• How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better by Charles Krupp

• Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

• Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt

• Five Wishes: How Answering One Simple Question Can Make Your Dreams Come True By Gay Hendricks

Give your articles creative titles that will excite the reader to want more of what you have to offer.  By stopping on your article, it may just be what they need to jump start them to a whole new level.