In this blog posting, Lois Gordon discusses why her background and education as an accomplished fiction writer makes her the ideal candidate to help Mercer-MacKay clients tell their stories in compelling ways.
When Gail first approached me about taking on some writing assignments for her burgeoning business, my first thought was “Me? Writing for IT? You must be kidding!” Everyone who knows me is aware of my, er, limitations when it comes to technology. Software? That would be my cashmere sweater. An app? That’s something I serve up before dinner, usually with a cocktail.
A Passion for Writing Will Captivate Your Audience
However, writing is the thing I love most in the world, and while waiting for an agent and a publishing house to recognize my genius, I did need to earn a living. I had already made the mental commitment to move away from my 30-year career as an interior designer and spend more time at the keyboard, and Gail’s offer would be a huge step toward making that change. I took on the challenge, starting with a case study for one of Mercer-MacKay’s clients, a well-known Canadian IT solution provider.
Research Combined with a Love for Stories is the Key
I did my research, learning facts about the client and their project, and became overwhelmed with tech-talk and concepts I could not possibly hope to communicate. Baffled and bewildered (and bemoaning my hasty decision), I tried tackling the problem from a whole new angle. What if I wrote the case study like a story? I’m good at stories, and have a few novels and a handful of awards for humour and fiction under my belt to prove it. And who doesn’t like a good story?
I crafted a tale of the IT provider (let’s call them Sir Lancelot) and their client (we’ll call them The Kingdom), whose paths crossed when The Kingdom’s management team realized they had a problem that needed fixing. They consulted with Sir Lancelot who, in true knight-in-shining-armor style, leapt onto his horse and eliminated the source of The Kingdom’s troubles. A few minor setbacks along the way kept it interesting, but in the end Sir Lancelot saved the day. And they all lived happily ever after.
Now, that may sound a little cliché, or even formulaic, but it is the basis of every good tale.
Invest in the Re-Write – Say Exactly What You Mean to Say
Several revisions were made to get my terminology right, of course, but that first piece was a hit with the client and was posted on their website a week later. I wrote a few more case studies, following the formula for a compelling story, constantly learning the vernacular of the trade, and gradually understanding their business so that my offerings required fewer and fewer edits.
Awards, Recognition, Website Traffic, Leads & More
My repertoire has grown to include awards submissions, press releases and blogs, both personal and corporate. Using my skill as a storyteller, I am able to write pieces that are interesting, educational, and even inspirational. (Personal blogs are my favourite. As a fiction writer, I am used to getting inside my characters’ heads, so writing from another person’s point of view comes fairly easily.) The clients are telling us that our stories are driving traffic to their website. More traffic has resulted in more leads and more projects. Everybody is winning.
I am, frankly, shocked at the amount of joy I am getting out of writing for Mercer-MacKay and their IT clients, and I can’t wait to tell the next story.