Power Sales Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition: Using Communication to Turn Prospects into Clients, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 4CHECK IT: THE FAILURE PROOF STEP

To write is human, to edit is divine.

—STEPHEN KING, ON WRITING

You’ve finished the hard and easy parts! Yay! You took the time to analyze why you’re writing (hard because for most salespeople you just want to go full steam ahead and start writing right away), and you “talked out” your words onto your screen (the easy part, because you have a clear and certain outcome in mind). Another minute or two and you’ll be ready to hit that Send button, confident that your reader will understand both your message and your intent. Ignore this crucial last step, however, and you risk losing the possibility of a sale, not to mention your professional reputation.

Here is an example of what I mean. This is an actual ...