Working in a virtual world

I've been working with clients from all over North America for over eight years, and I still marvel at the technology behind how we communicate. And now, with social media dominating so much of the way we interact, one does wonder where this is all headed.

At times like this, I like to look back and remember the technological changes I've seen in my lifetime. In high school, I was taught how to type on a manual typewriter (perish the thought!). I can still feel the vibrations in my fingers from having to press down hard. At my first job, I worked on a manual cash register, yes, the kind that had the big window at the top with the dollar sign and large, white oblong numbers. When I worked as a parts person in a motorcycle store, we kept all of our inventory on index cards.

It wasn't until I got my first office job that I came in contact with a computer. And that first job was a tough one. I was a claims reviewer for an insurance company, and we had daily quotas we had to make, plus we often worked overtime. Once trained, I kinda worked like a monkey, following the steps to file a claim like connecting dots. It wasn't long before I lost interest, even though I worked there for over a year!

From there, I went back into the parts field, working for several car dealerships. At one company, I became the inventory manager. Working on computers sure helped, especially since that dealership was the largest one in Vancouver at the time.

In the mid 90s, my husband bought our first home computer. I didn't think anything of it. He used it for personal stuff and playing games. He often reminded me that I could use it too. I remember saying, "What do I need to use a computer for?" Of course I did start using it, but for just a few odd things like writing up the minutes of a community dance troupe's meetings.

Then, in the late 90s, after a stint working in communications for the local government, I decided to start looking for work I could do at home. My first virtual home-based job was providing transcription services for a ghostwriting company in the States. Not bad for someone living on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. And I found it through searching on the Internet and being bold enough to ask (it was not a job that was advertised). I was thrilled that I had gone international. :)

Eventually I expanded my services and found more clients via the Net. Over the years, I've worked with people in Ohio, South Carolina, New York, California, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, to name a few - oh, and I even had a client from Australia (I know, big deal, it's no longer a novelty).

Nowadays, we don't think twice about how easy it is to connect with people online, both personally and professionally, but I still think about the days before the Internet explosion, the days before voice mail, oh heck, yes, I'll date myself even further - even back to the days of the rotary-dial telephone!

Appreciation

With all the strife going on in the world, I'm reminded how much I appreciate everyone in my life. I have an awesome caring and supportive family, a wonderful husband, great friends, nice neighbours, and incredible clients.

As I sit down to another day full of work I love, and interactions with people I admire and respect, I send my appreciation to every person, wishing them a great day and sending them good thoughts always.

The Interview

One of my favourite parts of writing is the interview. This is where I get into the "head" of my client. I'm always well prepared ahead of time with questions. And I have a knack for quickly absorbing information and turning it into copy that resonates with both the client and their target audience.

Sounds like shameless self-promotion? Well, maybe a little, but the point I'm making is I wasn't born with these skills, I've spent years honing my craft.

• My ultra-fast note-taking ability stems from years as a minute-taker at meetings from small business groups to large corporate entities as well as years of transcription experince and being a captioner for the hard-of-hearing.
  
• My interview questions are pointed and meant to elicit exactly the information I need to write the piece. This I have learned from years of interviewing clients, and people for newspaper or magazine articles or advertorials, and from my naturally inquisitive nature, e.g. I'm always interested in what makes people tick.
  
• And the writing. Well, to be honest, I've never attended journalism school or had any formal writing training, I've just been blessed with many great writing opportunities (they don't just magically appear, I go in search of them). But I've had to prove myself, working hard on every project, learning as I go. Now, the many satisfied clients and publishing credits speak to the fact that I must be doing the right thing!

I really love the whole process of writing from concept through to final piece, bringing together thoughts, ideas, quotes, weaving key points in, and adding flavour with the subject's personality. The whole thing just really jazzes me, but it's the interview that really kick-starts the process and is the piece I most enjoy doing.

To each his own

I often wonder how the millions of writers out there get and keep writing gigs. Yet, I think it's probably the same as with any other job, sure the writer needs the necessary background and all that, but ultimately, the fit has to be there.

What do you look for in a writer? You may have a list of qualifications and style you want them to have, but you also need to know they have the work ethics and personality that fits with you or your organization.

Case in point: Give 10 writers the exact same project, and no matter each person's writing background and experience, you will receive 10 completely different pieces of work. And just as in acting auditions, you may think, Writer A has the goods, but there's something about the tone of their approach you don't like. Or Writer B has 8 out of 10 things you're looking for, but you'd be willing to work with them because right from the get-go, their professionalism and upbeat personality came shining through.

I'm a great believer that there is enough work for every writer who is serious about what they do. And there are enough clients out there who are the right match for those writers.

So if you're on the lookout for a writer and haven't yet compiled your list of necessary qualifications and attributes - ones that are specific to what you want - I suggest you get very clear about that before starting your search.

Writing - yep, it's all in the family

As far back as I can remember, my Mom has always been a prolific writer - of letters that is. Yes, the old-fashioned pen and paper letters sent by post. I'd call her the "communications coordinator" of our family. She has always kept in touch with relatives near and far, as well as her friends. This she still does weekly without fail - and she's 86!

She never lets a birthday or anniversary go by without acknowledging it by sending a card or a letter. Even though I live in the same city, she still sends me cards for my birthday and at Christmas through the mail. It's kind of a neat tradition.

She has been the one person who has kept us all connected throughout the years and I'm very grateful to her for that.

Thanks Mom, for all that you do, and for being a writer I look up to.

Have you got - da, da, da, - personality?

One of my favourite things about writing is getting to know the people I'm writing for, what makes them tick, what they're passionate about and what really rocks their world. Then I infuse their "essence" into the copy I write.

To me, it doesn't matter if you're trying to sell spark plugs or a million-dollar coaching program, you can use all the typical sales tactics there are, but without personality, you won't really "speak to" and engage your potential clients.

People want to feel connected to the person/company they're buying from - whether an automotive store or a coaching website. They want to "feel" comfortable. They want to "feel" confidence in what you're selling, and they want to immediately "feel" a sense of trust. Direct your copy at the emotions of your potential clients, add top-notch calls to action, but most importantly, let them "feel" who you are.