… and does it affect the way you do business?
Left brain, right brain, we all operate more on one side of our cranium than the other. Some of us are more adept at handling complex mathematical equations whilst others of us are more proficient at articulating things verbally.
For me – a writer, copywriter, some-time stand-up comedienne – words are my easiest tools to work with. But put me in front of a pad of numbers, and I’m prone to panicking. Once upon a time, I was accused of not doing my best where my accounting paperwork was concerned. This was entirely unfair since I was doing my best, but my best was far, far inferior to his best paperwork efforts.
So I posed an interesting challenge. “How about you write for me, a 1,000-word article on any topic of your choosing? It has to be 100% grammatically correct with no spelling errors or typos and it has to be interesting!”
Well, he just laughed. At first. Then he saw the earnest expression on my face. If I’m expected to perform mathematically, then he should be expected to perform verbally. Needless to say, he refused the challenge and the complaints about my bookkeeping expertise – or lack thereof – were never issued again. Today, I continue to muddle through, though I’ve had some very welcome and hugely appreciated help from someone who is an expert at the numbers game.
People often tell me that they just can’t write. Although I find it unfathomable to not be able to string words together in an appealing way, I do get that it’s easier for some than for others. To a degree, writing is a skill that comes naturally, but it can be learned. On the other hand, numbers are facts; cold, hard facts that can be manipulated but ultimately, will land the right way up every time, if done correctly. Words can be fashioned. They require creativity and rhythm. Numbers tell you what to do with them; I tell words what to do.
I admire mathematically-minded folks and how they can breeze through their paperwork to submit their BAS on time and that they’re able to know at the touch of a button their financial position for the week.
When it all comes down to it, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. Businesses spring up in response to those weaknesses and by applying their own strengths, help clients to achieve what they couldn’t do alone.
Do you outsource the tasks at which you don’t excel?
If you found bookkeeping and accounting difficult to the point of not submitting your BAS on time, you’d outsource it to a professional, correct? Of course you would. But if you struggled to write your website content or put together a timely email newsletter, or knew you were peppering your correspondence with typos and spelling errors, would you outsource your writing services?
Your business’s success depends on performing all tasks optimally. Left-brain, right-brain … what matters is that you put the right people on the job to level it all out.
Kindly Contributed By:
Gina Lofaro aka ‘the wordmistress’ is an expert copywriter who, despite admitting a distinct ineptitude for all things numerical, has a knack for words that turns so-so content into compelling, must-read copy.