I enjoy a successful career as a freelance medical writer. I write from home, work with brilliant doctors and scientists, and make a comfortable living.
My secret weapon? I use magic words.
In my 15-plus years as a medical writer, I have stirred up an impressive cauldron of magic words. I sprinkle in these fantastic phrases and enchanting words whenever I need to entrance a new client or cast a long-lasting spell on a repeat customer.
The golden rule of all magicians that says we should never reveal our secrets. I have decided to break that rule today and share with you the secret weapons that led to my success.
Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain
Clients are most comfortable working with capable writers, so I begin every pitch by introducing myself as the Wizard of Words. I am confident in my writing ability and, even if I don’t know everything there is to know about a topic, I rely on my skills as a medical writer to perform the necessary research and concoct whatever word-potion my client is looking for.
I Turn Myself into an Exact Duplicate of the Client
Sometimes the client supplies the magic words – I copy these important words and phrases from the project description and paste them to pitch a project idea or describe my skills as a writer. Using the client’s own words gives the impression that I posses clairvoyant powers and can produce perfect content without a lot of revisions or coaching.
Magical Spells Transform Word Frogs into Word Princes
I cast magic spells to cloak my irritable responses to unpleasant stimuli. This secret disguise allows me to mask unprofessional sentiments so I can communicate with clients in a positive – and profitable – manner.
I replace the words “unreasonable request” with “opportunity,” for example, and refer to edits as “improvements.” Weekends, evenings, and holidays become “extra time” and I always talk about the “urgent nature” of a short deadline. I pepper my replies with nice words, such as “appreciate” and “glad” to make anything I say sound pleasant and inviting.
Here is what it really says:
My head is exploding because of your unreasonable request to edit this 10,000-word article FOR THE FIFTH TIME with a 12-hour deadline of 2 AM on Christmas Eve.
Here is an example of how it sounds after I cast the magic spell:
I appreciate the opportunity to improve this article. I am glad I could devote extra time to accommodate the project’s urgent nature.
The Real Magic Word
The word “please” magically transforms a gruff demand into a polite request. You can double the effect of this magic word by pairing it with a “thank you.”
I try to use magic words consistently. You will find the phrase “Thank you and take care” at the end of nearly all my correspondence, just above my name.
I appreciate the opportunity to share my secret weapons with you. Thank you for your time and take care.
Lynn H has sprinkled her special brand of magic medical words into health and wellness blogs, articles, and white papers for more than 15 years.
