Clear Communication. Cooperative Teamwork. Creative Execution.
We partner with you to deliver exactly what your constituents want and need.
Strategic Planning Tip
How to establish useful business development milestones
Good copywriting rarely draws attention to itself. The writer tells you what you need to know as quickly and smoothly as possible, and then he gets out of the way. At SGS DESIGN AND MORE, our writers strive to become invisible. Successful copy isn't about us; it's about conveying your distinctive voice and message.
Your Unique Message
Your business exists because you have a specific product or service to offer. Most likely, we can represent your merchandise in an innovative manner. At SGS, we don't need to stretch the truth on behalf of our clients. By highlighting your real benefits to your customers, you'll watch them come back to you satisfied every time.
Customer's Language
Your best friend knows you better than anyone. He sincerely cares that you always find the sweetest deals in life. That's how we help you talk to your customers. Just as best friends know exactly how to inspire us toward greatness, you become an expert at speaking your customer's language.
Strong Verbs — It's the Thing to Do
This first principle sounds so simple, you'll wonder why we even mention it. Yet most business men and women continue to violate this foundational rule, year after year. They believe, along with their high-school English teachers, that a good sentence will contain lots of descriptive words — adjectives and adverbs. But their writing lacks vibrancy; they can't inform, pursuade or convince anyone with much success.
Nothing improves your writing faster than strong, active verbs. Your reader learns the essential action of your sentences through the verbs you choose to communicate.
"The active voice normally is shorter, livelier, and more direct."
Which of the following sentences sounds better?
"She is a good teacher..." or "She speaks with authority..."
Focusing on active verbs forces the writer to crystalize his thoughts before committing anything to paper.
The Passive Prey Gets Eaten
By all means, avoid passive "be" and "helping" verbs. The killers include: be, is, am, are, were, was, being, been, may, can, do, does, did, have, had, has, shall, should, must, might, could, will and would. Believe me, powerful verbs will work more effectively for you than any other writing tool available.
(Thank you so much, Richard Bohrer, for everything you taught me in my college Journalism classes!)
Make active verbs your priority, and before you know it, they'll become second nature to you. Why not start with the next email transmission you need to send?
Type your initial ideas first, then go back and knock off every inactive, passive verb you see. Carefully redraft your prose with the exact verbs you mean to use. In only a few extra minutes, your writing will begin to sing.
The American Heritage Book of English Usage
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