Let's say you're writing a letter to your bank, whining about latest foul-up with your account.

"Unfortunately I was climbing my front steps when I opened my card statement, and I was so surprised I tripped. The bruise on my shin's blossomed from red to blue to dark-blue, and I'm gulping painkillers every four hours. You need to put warning labels on your envelopes."

Not hard to write, and not boring either. You're just telling what happened.

4. Get enthusiastic

What you're feeling comes through in your words, always. So, to liven up your words, you have to be interested in what you're writing about.

This can be hard, but luckily enthusiasm is transferable. For example, let's say that you're writing a presentation for your latest product. You don't like product, you can't imagine that anyone will ever like it, much less pay money for it. In that frame of mind, guess how presentation will sound?

OK, close your eyes and imagine your favourite pastime, let's say it's swimming. You're doing lazy laps in pool, sun is shining, you've got whole day to yourself, maybe a movie later...

Hold that feeling! Keep feeling, and dive into writing presentation. (Try this, I swear it works.)

5. Tell reader what to do

Always tell reader what you want him to do.

If you're writing an ad, don't forget to give address of store, or give a phone number. You'd be amazed at how much advertising is happily inserted into everything from newspapers and Web sites to Yellow Pages without giving basic contact information.

If you're writing a letter, or an e-mail message, do same thing. You may think that what you want reader to do is obvious, and it may be, but give instruction anyway.

Try these five techniques, and please send me a message (sun818_98@yahoo.com) to tell me about your results. If you've got other techniques that work for you, tell me about those too. I'm always looking for ways to make writing easier. If I use your technique in a future article, I'll happily give you credit.

***Resource box: if using, please include***

*** WRITERS! ***

Learn how to transform your talent into a flourishing business by subscribing to Creative Small Biz, free weekly ezine for creatives. http://www.digital-e.biz/

**END**

“Guaranteed” – Customers appreciate safety and security that comes with a satisfaction guarantee. All reputable retailers and businesses have some type of return policy, because they know that it will encourage customers to buy, and only a small fraction of people ever bother to return anything.

They key to guarantees is to be reasonable. A 100% money back guarantee is reasonable. So is an exchange policy or warranty against defects. Some of more recent guarantees that have emerged in advertising, especially on Internet, are actually a turn off to a potential customer. A “double your money back guarantee” usually makes customers wary of seller. Why 200%? Is that what it takes to generate a sale, and if so, how good can this product or service really be? When it comes to guarantees, mirror those offered by industry leaders in your business, and don’t go too far.

“Limited Time Offer” – If you’re going to offer your customers something for a “limited time” then follow through on your promise. Customers don’t appreciate being lied to. If you state that your special offer expires tomorrow, then follow through on your promise and rescind your offer tomorrow, even if its only temporarily. When a business consistently offers “limited time” deals week after week, customers lose faith in credibility of business. Anyone who jumped on your offer believing that they only had a “limited time” to take advantage of it will now feel that you were not honest in your advertising and will not likely give you additional business in future.

“Free”, “Guaranteed”, and “Limited Time Offer” are great tools to use in your advertising to get attention and stimulate purchases. However, overuse and abuse of these terms can be very harmful to your reputation and to your future revenue stream.