Is Your Subject Well Lit?

This photo was taken of a portion of the Nurses Monument in Washington DC. At this point in the lesson I was beginning to combine all that I had learned:

• Determine the subject
• Come in close
• Make sure there isn't anything in the photo that you don't want
• Edit in advance

And make sure the subject is well lit. I got down on the cold ground to take this picture so that I could capture the sun as it glinted off the face of the wounded soldier. The shadow on the nurse's face mimicked the despair she must be feeling - out in the battle field with limited medical treatment for the thousands of soldiers she and her peers were trying to save.

When I look at this picture, I feel the hopelessness of both participants. I am reminded that although the Vietnam War was in my youth, my children are now faced with another such brutal activity involving fighting and death.

In my communications, I work to create the same image, the passion, the focus and the spotlight on the key message that I'm trying to convey.

Often when we communicate, we are in a hurry. We have a message with a task and deadline that needs to be communicated. Who has time to ensure it is crafted in a way that will evoke the necessary emotion?

I challenge us all that we owe it to our readers to try. Begin to implement some of the tips I learned from my photography teacher in your corporate writing. You'll be amazed at the results.

DCB

Add a Touch of Color

If you have been to the Vietnam Memorial, you know what an amazing work of art it is. A wall of names as far as the eye can see in a reflective marble that allows the visitor to see their own reflection in the names on the wall.

Our photography teacher told us to look for the opportunity to add a dash of color to create a contrast in the picture. So when I took this picture I found a section of the wall that had been decorated with a single rose. Note the reflection the rose makes. The simplicity of the single rose speaks of the love that someone must have felt for a name etched in the wall close by. Was it a relative of Robert Staley or Larry Tolliver? I don't know, but that rose made me pause and pay closer attention to that section of the wall.

Adding a dash of color to your communications will also add to its impact. You might select colored paper or well chosen colored font to make certain points stand out in your message. Adding graphics or photos that enhance your message will also make it more appealing to the reader. A more visually appealing message increasing the odds of it being read, understood and acted upon.

So add a little color to your communications.

Planning to Edit? Do it before you hit send

This is a picture of the inside of Union Station in Washington DC. The architecture is magnificent. Before taking the class, I might have taken this picture with the idea of zooming in with my computer photoshop and focusing on the ceiling design and editing out all of the people.

Why wait. I'll just have a zoomed in picture of an image that was taken from far away.

Move in closer and get what you want the first time.

It's the same with your business communications. You might write down a whole lot of details thinking that the reader can edit and find the nuggets of information that are the most important. Why make them work that hard?

Through the use of captions, bolded phrases and bullet pointed lists you can zero in on the most important details and edit out the extra stuff that really isn't all that important.

Targeted communications are more likely to be read. Just like a focused picture that zooms in on the desired object is more enjoyable to look at.

The Brain Edits But The Camera Doesn't

In the third session of what I learned from the DC photographer, he told us that when we look through the camera, our brain edits out the stuff we aren't concentrating on. Then, when we get the picture developed, we find something in the frame that alters the art of the picture.

In this picture of the Korea Memorial, the 38th Parallel, I was concentrating on the haunted look in the soldier's eye and totally missed the honking big green bus in the background. For me, it ruined the feeling I was trying to capture in the picture.

Now think of your business communications. When you have an important message to communicate, make sure you look at it from all angles to ensure there isn't a pesky detail that might alter the tone of your message.

Example: in my previous company we would frequently receive information in our paycheck envelopes. One such message was printed on PINK PAPER. Talk about receiving a "pink slip." My colleagues and I had a hard time getting past the color of the paper to see what the message was.

Another example is the timing of your message. Are you sending out a sensitive message to arrive on a Friday? From the reader's perspective, they will now have to wait the entire weekend to call with questions or for clarification thereby increasing their emotional response.

I'd recommend having someone proofread your message prior to sending to ensure that you haven't missed a detail.

One final story on that subject. In my past company, the president would frequently hold open-door meetings and invite all associates to come and ask company questions. My department would create a flyer announcing the details of the meeting and post them around the building. One such poster was supposed to say "A Message From the President."

Luckily, we proof read everything we sent in our department, and found that the flyer actually read: "A Massage From the President."

Changes the tone of the message a little bit, doesn't it???

Focus on the subject - come in CLOSE

In the last post, I talked about determining what you were taking a picture of (or writing a communication piece about).

Now for the next step. Before you hit the shutter button on the camera or the SEND button on your email...come in closer.

Photos; When taking a picture of your loved one, in this case, my husband - David - in front of the White House, focus on the person rather than the building.

In most cases when we are on vacation taking pictures of loved ones in front of famous sites, we step back and take a tiny picture of the person waving in front of the large object. The end result - a photo that isn't really focused on anything CLEARLY.

So come in close - position the person in the left or right corner of the picture - focus on the person with the famous site in the back and slightly blurred. Hey - it's a famous building; we all know what it is right? So why not focus on the person - crisp, clear and close.

In communications: Same story holds true. You've selected the subject you want to communicate. Say you are writing to your customers/prospects about a new product you have to offer. Don't muddle the message with features or extra information that is unrelated to the topic.

Come in closer: look at the message from the reader's point of view. What problem will this new product solve? How will it make the person's life better? What is the BENEFIT to the customer?

Focus clearly on the benefit and your communication will be crisp, clear and close to the heart of the reader!

Determine Your Subject

In the first of 7 posts connecting business communications and what I learned from the photographer in Washington, DC, we'll start with determining your subject.

Photos: In a photo you want to determine what the focal point of your picture will be. Rarely do we randomly point and click and expect an artistic finished product.

Select your subject and then position them/it in the center of your frame.

Business: This works perfect in business communications. Have you ever read a piece that was "all over the place?" There was a little bit of this and that and at the end of the piece you were confused as to the main theme or subject of the communication.

To clearly communicate your message you need to determine what the subject will be and what the objective of that subject is.

Once you've determined the subject and objective, your communication piece will be clear, in focus and easy to understand.

Example: You would like to send a communication to your customers about a new product that you are offering. Wrapping that product data around several other messages, like an industry update, the staff holiday party and a great recipe for cole slaw, will dilute your message of informing customers about this great new product.

When sending a message - make sure that everything else, from articles to photos, supports your subject.

What I learned at the Library of Congress

I had the opportunity to conduct research in the Library of Congress Business and Science Reading Room this week. What an amazing experience. The next time you get to DC, I highly recommend taking the time to obtain a library card and visiting the reading rooms.

Two copies of every copyrighted item: song lyric, business concept, book, picture, play, recipe, et al, that has legally obtained a copyright is located within in the Library of Congress. The copyrighting department is so huge that the building has its own zip code! Over 10,000 items are received and catalogued each day.

I had the opportunity to walk among the stacks and view a variety of business and marketing books. In one book, "Business Writers Book of Lists," by Mary A. DeVries, I learned about the most common objectives in a business message (I'm paraphrasing):

• make initial contact
• acquire, provide or exchange information
• instruct
• ask or grant a favor
• thank
• change behavior or attitude
• praise
• reprimand
• strengthen a relationship and encourage feelings of goodwill
• build a favorable image of one's self or company
• buy or sell
• begin or end something

In additional to conducting research for a business project I also had the opportunity to view the city through the eyes of a professional photographer. Continue reading here over the next few postings for what I learned about my business through the eye of a camera!