PADDY O'CONNOR

Words that work

Phone +44 (0) 207 359 9272
Email paddy@paddyoc.com

I deal directly with you, my client

I work directly for professional services clients (not for other marketing services companies)

I need to hear at first hand about the problems you face.
I want to be able to ask my own questions and listen carefully to your replies. So I don't work for third parties, such as graphic design companies.

Everything I do is about making sure your message is clear and getting it read and understood. Design helps. But when it doesn't I need to be free to say so. And your designers need to be free to tell you if they think my copy needs more work.

I write simply, clearly, and as near as possible to the way people speak

I analyse complex material quickly, draw out the essentials and produce a good read from sales messages that are often dull and technical.

I loathe jargon, business-speak and abstract nouns. I like short words and verbs.

I write (or help you write) the words that bring in business

I'll help you learn all the persuasive writing techniques I use. The idea is that you should become self-sufficient and put me out of a job.

A problem I solve

Message structure

‘We need an introduction’

No you don't.

You need to start with a clear headline (think newspaper) and a strong summary. Your reader needs to know your big idea and where you are taking him.

Every one of your readers is busy and each wants to be able to scan- read your copy and pick up your main points quickly. And you need your reader to be interested enough to continue reading.

Most of us write in a linear way: beginning, middle and end. So when you've finished writing make sure you leave enough time to move the end to the beginning.

To understand how to structure your message in a way that keeps your reader reading, contact me.