Seven Ways To Manage Writing By Committee

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Seven Ways To Manage Writing By Committee by Susan Weiner, CFA, The Finance Professionals’ Post

The best way to manage writing by committee? Avoid it. As Ann Handley says in Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content,

Having a buddy by your side is helpful. Having an entire committee on your back? Not so much.

However, writing in a regulated industry means that many of you must get your materials reviewed by compliance. Also, if you’re a financial marketer, your subject-matter expert will want to check your work.

I have some tips, based on my experience as director of investment communications for an asset management firm.

Tip 1. Develop a process

Haphazardly approaching the review and approval of your project can slow you down, as you must always think about your next step. Avoid this headache by developing a process. Identify who needs to be involved and when. Also, how long they need for their roles in the process.

For example, reviewing a fund commentary might involve your sending it to a subject-matter expert, then a proofreader, and, finally, your compliance professional, who may bounce it back to you.

If you work as part of a team, put your process into a flow chart to share with team members. Include the names or functions of the people involved, along with how long they’re allowed to respond.

Tip 2. Learn the compliance rules

To reduce the pain of dealing with compliance, learn about the main rules that affect you and develop strategies for dealing with them.

For example, learn which topics trigger the need for disclosures. Then, you can avoid those topics or have boilerplate disclosures handy for tailoring to the content under review.

In general, familiarizing yourself with compliance guidelines will help you to write in a way that minimizes the need for editing by compliance. It’ll also speed your content’s progress through compliance review, especially as your compliance officers develop confidence in you.

Tip 3. Communicate expectations

Tell people what you’re looking for and when you need it.

Don’t invite your subject-matter experts to take an axe to your article. Instead, keep your feedback request as narrow as possible. Ask them to “check for accuracy,” or to answer a specific question. As Ann Handley says, “Please approve is likely to deliver far fewer edits than will please tell me if you have suggestions.

Tell your subject-matter experts and compliance reviewers about your deadlines.

Tip 4. Limit rounds of revisions

As Handley says, “One is fine. Five? Nope.” Another Handley suggestion: Get sign-off on an outline before writing a complete draft. “You can often avoid a lot of angst this way,” she says.

See full article here.

Financial Blogging: How to Write Powerful Posts That Attract Clients – Description

Financial Blogging: How to Write Powerful Posts That Attract Clients by Susan B Weiner CFA

Blogging has become a “must” for many independent and fee-only financial advisors. It’s a great way to build your business by connecting with current and potential clients as well as referral sources. Blogging attracts prospects to your website, media attention, and speaking engagements. It also cements your reputation as a leader in your field. Savvy investment managers, wealth managers, and other financial professionals know blogs are an excellent way to communicate topical information before it gets stale. This deepens your relationships with current clients. But many advisors struggle to create a steady flow of compelling blog posts. This isn’t surprising. After all, your professional training focused on helping clients manage their investments or finances. You may have never taken a writing class or written for publication. Don’t worry! Help has arrived. This book will help you conquer the challenge of producing high quality blog posts by following a step-by-step process, including how to: Generate and refine ideas for blog posts that will engage your readers Organize your thoughts before you write so you can write more quickly and effectively Edit your writing so it’s reader-friendly and appealing Spread the word about your blog and attract more visitors

Financial Blogging: How to Write Powerful Posts That Attract Clients – Review

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About the Author

Susan B Weiner, CFA, teaches a highly regarded blogging class tailored to the needs of financial planners, wealth managers, investment managers, and the marketing and communications staff that supports them. She has spoken about writing across the U.S. and Canada for the CFA Institute. Author of the Investment Writing blog, Weiner writes and edits articles, white papers, investment commentary, and other communications for leading investment and wealth management firms.

Seven Ways To Manage Writing By Committee

Financial Blogging: How to Write Powerful Posts That Attract Clients by Susan B Weiner CFA

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