TheWritersBag.com

A sure way to establish yourself as an amateur writer is to overuse the exclamation point. One reference manual goes so far as to say the exclamation point “should be avoided wherever possible.”

Don’t throw this peppy piece of punctuation away just yet, however. All but the most puritanical writers use it, though most competent writers do so rarely outside of advertising copy.

Let’s say you’re writing about someone who sees a golf ball shooting toward his unsuspecting friend’s head. Which of the following two statements would leave his lips?

1. “Duck.”
2. “Duck!”

A mere “Duck” without an exclamation point sounds a bit unconcerned under the circumstances. Anyone who would only say “Duck” with a golf ball zooming toward a crony’s cranium could hardly be called a friend. The situation demands nothing less than a hearty “Duck!” Number two is right.

So here’s the rule: Use an exclamation point only to indicate strong emotions, intense feelings, forceful commands or a high degree of surprise or incredulity – and use one only when it looks strange not to.

What’s wrong with the following e-mail?

We’re offering all employees a free coupon good for $20 off any dinner for two at Le Bistro in the City Mall. The coupon is good any evening through the end of the year, from 6 p.m. to midnight. Don’t miss this employee benefit!

Did you spot the problem? It’s a big one. The e-mail lacks what is known as a “call to action” (CTA). It doesn’t tell the employees what they need to do next. Should they call someone, pick the coupon up at the reception desk, or what?

Whenever you write something asking readers to take some sort of action, that written communication should be equipped with a CTA. You’ll find CTAs in everything from elaborate direct mail pieces (“Call 1-800-123-4567 …”) to simple e-mails from your boss (“Have the report – or your head – on my desk by noon.”) Simply stated, CTAs tell your readers what you want them to do after they read your communication.

A good CTA is …

• Clear: Don’t confuse your readers.
• Easy to follow: Don’t make them jump through hoops unnecessarily to do what you want them to do.
• Hard to miss: Make the CTA pop out. You can bold it, highlight it, place it at the top of the message, or reiterate it in a PS.

My high school football coach used to whip our team into a state of frothing excitement before every big game. When we’d reached the point of critical mass, he’d tell us to get out there and win one for the school. We’d jump up and run in a screaming frenzy out of the locker room and down the hall toward the big door that opened onto the playing field.

One day he forgot to unlock the door.

That’s exactly what you do when you forget to include a CTA.

I recently saw one the world’s most beautiful women being interviewed on television. This movie star (unlike some we all know) is gracious, intelligent and deep. But despite all that, she drove me crazy. Why? Because she said “… at the end of the day …” at least 20 times during the 20-minute interview. Granted, it’s a popular phrase. It’s snappy and packs a lot of meaning into a few words. But like a good joke, once is enough.

Don’t make the same mistake in your writing. Catch phrases can sometimes be effective in written pieces, but use them sparingly. In fact, once per manuscript per phrase should be the limit for all but very long pieces. Moreover, don’t rely on catch phrases so much that your writing becomes one long chain of them.

Because at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, a catch phrase is the smoking gun of laziness. Let’s raise the bar!