I had the great pleasure to recently lead a business writing course with sales and planning employees at the very beautiful Airlie Center, a conference center in Virginia.

Airlie Center has been called “an island of thought” by TIME magazine because many creative ideas have been spawned at conferences there: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s March on Washington and Earth Day are two notable examples.

We discussed the challenge of finding words that adequately convey the extraordinary beauty and facilities and amenities of Airlie Center, particularly in prospecting email messages.

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. One very smart salesperson has been appending relevant images of Airlie Center in the signature of her prospecting emails.

PROSPECTING EMAIL EXAMPLE:

Unlike a hotel, Airlie Center is a dedicated Conference Center with all inclusive packages.  Our Complete Meeting Package (CMP) begins with dinner, and includes the following:

Seven Guesthouses Accommodating 217 guests

Each guestroom offers serene charm coupled with modern amenities including:

• Cable television
• Lighted work area with analog and T1 data ports
• 2 private telephones with voicemail
• Personal coffee pot, hair dryer, iron, ironing board

17 Conference Rooms boasting 17,000 Square Feet of Meeting Space

• Designed to accommodate each group’s needs
• Understated décor, abundant windows providing natural light
• Comfortable ergonomic chairs
• Latest conference support technology

Recreation & Relaxation

Airlie’s picturesque, rural campus provides a perfect backdrop for jogging, walking, biking, fishing, and other nature based activities.  There is also a fitness gym and an outdoor swimming pool.  Team Building Activities, such as a certified ropes course instruction, can be arranged (additional cost will apply).

Airlie’s Whistling Swan Pub provides a warm ambiance for after-hours relaxation complete with darts, billiards, fireplace, and overstuffed leather chairs.  A game of golf, winery tour, skeet shooting, horseback riding and trip to enchanting historic Old Town Warrenton can also be arranged.

Dedicated Conference Planners
Airlie’s professional Meeting Planners work closely with you to deliver customized results.  From meeting room selection, setup and equipment requirements, guest room requirements, to food presentation and menu selections, our professional Meeting Planners simplify and streamline your job!

Day Meeting Packages are also available.

TIPS

• Be certain to customize the images to your audience. Send only those images that reflect the relevant services for your prospect.
• More tips on using email signatures for marketing messages.
• We tested Airlie’s signature images on three email systems: gmail, MS Outlook and a college proprietary email system. None required a separate click to download the images, as is required for images in the body of an email message in these systems. (NOTE: this was an anecdotal test only, and not conclusive, but does suggest that images in the signature are are more likely to be seen.)

If your products or service is visually compelling, use this wise practice from Airle Center to engage your reader and immediately differentiate your message.

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If an important document is written by committee, it can easily become bloated and unfocused. And, it will lack a cohesive voice.

Too many cooks, throwing in too many ingredients, can easily muddle the audience focus and requisite content:

How to Write by Committee:

• Make sure roles are clearly assigned. You need a writer/editor and the sign-off designee:
  • Choose your best writer as writer/editor and recipient of all team feedback.
  • Choose the team member most familiar with the audience needs and benefits and product as sign-off designee.
  • All team members can, and should, provide feedback.

1. Start with a group meeting. Identify audience and content. (As taught in Effective Business Writing Techniques.)
2. For the first review, solicit feedback, not text editing, from the full team. What information do team members want changed? Make sure they are able to explain why they want that information changed.
3. Let the team writer/editor revise the document, based on the team feedback received. To hold clarity and voice, it’s best if multiple team members do not edit text.
4. For the second review, have team proofread for typos and errors, as well as message.
5. When the editor feels the document is ready, present it to the sign-off designee.

Beware committee bloat. If you have important documents that are shaped by committee, be sure to identify roles and process. You’ll save time and frustration, create documents that reflect your audience’s needs, and present a clear message.

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