I have often been mocked for my view that B2B (business to business) sales writing should be treated in the same was as B2C (business to customer). But I laugh in the face of mockery – why should it be different?

• Can a company physically buy something?
• Can a company actually meet you at the coffee shop round the corner?
• Can a company sit down at a table and sign a contract?

Of course not therefore you are writing to individuals, normal human beings within a company. No matter how high up the ladder they are, they are normal, walking, talking and breathing people. So why treat them differently?

There are 4 golden rules to follow in B2B sales writing, stick to these and you’ll be worshiped the world over.

1. Keep it brief – you are writing to people at work so they will be time limited.
2. Business people are human - they also make decisions partially for personal reasons (more profits equal bigger salaries etc). Tap into reason and emotion for the best results.
3. You are writing to sell, so sell benefits – buy this and you’ll save money, save time, make bigger profits, reduce staff turnover, and improve productivity.
4. There is no language called B2Bish – keep it plain and simple; steer clear of cliché and jargon.

Follow these simple guidelines and it will be you who has the last laugh.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter

Let me take your business to new heights by making every word count.

I have enjoyed writing ever since I can remember. My mother still has exercise books full of stories that I wrote in my youth – many of them should really have been consigned to the bin but, thanks to her, shall remain in all their juvenile glory to haunt me for ever more.

Throughout my school years, I covered countless rain forests in ink with essays on all manner of academic subjects. Stories would flow freely from my aching hand (yes you spotted it, I was at school pre-computers) – they may not have been Booker Prize Winners but they were coherent, flowing and above all written in grammatically correct English.

I count myself among those fortunate few who have turned their hobby into their profession. I now spend my days writing and creating. There is nothing more relaxing or satisfying than carefully crafting a small army of words into an absorbing article, successful sales letter or piece of web copy.

Much of my work comes from a regular bank of clients; however I occasionally look at websites that post requests for work. You can imagine my horror and despair as I noticed a worrying trend beginning to emerge. It would appear that some of today’s University students are incapable of producing an essay.

For example, I received these requests a few days ago:

“I need an essay on modernism (using no more than two artworks and one theoretical text, give an account of one post-war artist who refutes Greenberg’s theory of modernist ‘flat’ painting).”

This one on Ophelia’s death takes the biscuit; I quote “Hey I need a paper about Ophelia’s death, what drove her mad and who caused it before Thursday. If you can do it, it needs to include the nunnery scene and closet scene show Ophelia’s negative qualities”

One may be forgiven for feeling an amount of sympathy for today’s students who are forced to work all hours to pay their way through University so that they are not saddled by huge debts when they graduate. However it is not just confined to Universities. This one was the most worrying that I came across.  It was posted by a GCSE student who says:

 “I’ve  got an American West essay to do, i’m at GCSE level. About 2000 words for the essay.Looking for a essay writer do this for me and tell me the price i would have to pay i haven’t got that much money because im only a school student so im looking for a decent price. Can you message me back as soon as possible please.”

(Please note I have not corrected the punctuation or format of the posting.)

What is the world coming too? Is the art of good writing being lost forever? I hope not. But then again, it will at least ensure that I shall be kept very busy for a very long time.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Business Copywriter

Helping SME’s cast off their marketing frustrations

Close the blinds, take the phone off the hook and shut your door – what I am about to tell you will revolutionise your business.

Time is one of the most precious commodities of the modern day. It is the one thing many of us never seem to have enough of.

As a copywriter, I am constantly asked what exactly it is that I do. I could go on and on about writing web copy, press releases, newsletters, sales letters, reviews, brochures…..dozed off yet? Exactly, it’s not the most glamorous job in the world.

Instead I tell people that as a copywriter I do far more than sell and put interesting and entertaining words on to paper or screen. By far the most important aspect of my profession is that I save you time.

Whether you run your own business or work for someone else, you know how important time is. There just never seem to be enough minutes in the day to get everything done. Shall I tell you why? Perhaps you are trying to do too much.

Most business people are perfectly capable of writing their own copy. But as your business becomes more successful you have less time. This is why you hire people to help you. After all, the key to success is to surround yourself with people smarter than you in their field of expertise. Your time is precious and you need to use it effectively within your business.

To see your business flourish you need to let go of some of the work. Yes, you would be giving up some control but only to generate and explore new ideas. A copywriter will help you with that. Not only will they write cracking copy, they can also use their creativity to help devise new and innovative ideas.

Copywriting is a highly specialised area which demands specific skills, knowledge and a certain type of personality and therefore it is a position you would want to fill from outside your company. A professional freelance copywriter will bring fresh ideas to your business and will create vibrant copy that will get your company noticed. Don’t get bogged down searching for one with extensive experience within your particular industry sector – ignorance is often the most valuable commodity a copywriter can bring. Their writing will not be dull and lifeless or a regurgitation of your industry norm.

Copywriting isn’t and should not be thought of as another expense. It is an investment. Put your resources into this aspect of your business and you’ll reap the rewards – your time and your company’s revenue will soar.

Sally Ormond

Freelance Copywriter