New Jersey Financial Advisor/Upstate Financial Advisor (National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors, regional chapters)

January 10, 2006

Better writing means better productivity

By Jack E. Appleman, CBC

Flash back to high school English. You've got 24 hours to finish that 1,000-word essay, but you're 500 words short! Crank out some more sentences. Plug in some new vocabulary words. Who cares if you don't know what they mean? And don't worry about re-phrasing what's already written. Just don't stop until you reach that magic 1,000!

Unfortunately, too many professionals in the insurance/financial services field haven't let go of the high school essay syndrome-and their writing continues to suffer. Bad writing can cost you time and money. Ambiguous emails, confusing client letters and dull proposals can all lower your bottom line. Poor writing is an epidemic spreading throughout the insurance/financial services industry and the entire corporate world. A recent survey by Information Mapping, Inc. revealed that 40% of respondents said they wasted up to three hours a day reading ineffectively written emails. Ouch!

The good news is that business writing is a learned skill, so employees at all levels-from CSRs and producers to company principals-can learn to write more productively.

Writing instruction for insurance/financial services professionals

A writing training specifically designed for insurance/financial services professionals-and tailored to the needs of participants-is an investment that could pay off with higher productivity. The first step is to identify the individuals who most need help with their writing. Then select a trainer who has taught writing to corporate employees, preferably one with experience in the insurance/financial services field. Sit down with the instructor to determine the key documents to address during the writing workshop and whether to incorporate one-on-one sessions. Ask the trainer how to monitor participants' progress in the months following the workshop-perhaps through email and phone follow-up.

Key skills to cover

Below are some of the skills to cover in a writing workshop:
Be clear-don't make the reader guess key details.

Unclear

The deadline for receiving the lower rates is nearing, at the end of February, so it would be appreciated if you could provide me with the necessary data well in advance, at least two weeks or so before.

Clear

To qualify for the lower rates, please provide me with the data by February 14, two weeks before the February 28 deadline.
Be concise-delete unnecessary words.

Wordy

The financial advisor's report was carefully illustrated. The document was eight pages long.

Concise

The financial advisor's eight-page report was carefully illustrated.
Get to the point-immediately.

Think of yourself as a newspaper writer trying to capture readers' attention by putting the most important information first-because most people are impatient and just want you to get to the point! See the example below.

Given the Jan. 10 report showing a 20% rise in client complaints, I suggest additional training for the customer service staff.
Master emails-with compelling subject lines.

Like newspaper headlines, email subject lines help people decide what to read first. So if you want others to read your emails first, write compelling subject lines, and consider including a suggested action step. Which one of these emails would you click on first?

Vague subject line

Report on Dec. closing ratios

Specific subject line

Dec. closing ratio up 15%/continue trip incentives

For too many who work in the insurance/financial services field, writing has become a forgotten skill. But the right instruction can dramatically improve writing skills and result in greater productivity and ultimately a higher bottom line.

About the author

Jack E. Appleman, CBC, president of SG Communications, LLC--with offices in Montville, NJ and Monroe, NY--teaches professionals and employees at all levels to write more productively. An award-winning writer with 15 years' experience in the insurance field, Appleman frequently speaks on business writing before NAIFA chapters and other insurance audiences. He also teaches writing and communication skills at Fairleigh Dickinson University and at William Paterson University in New Jersey. Appleman can be reached at 973.263.5455 (jack@sgwriting.com).

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