Maybe you’ve heard the advice to “Just write like you’re sitting on a barstool next to them having a conversation.”
That is a good start. If you can do that, you’ll definitely write more like you speak and less like you’re trying to impress a college professor, which is how many of us were taught to write in high school English class.
But it neglects one itty bitty detail…You’re NOT sitting on a barstool next to them.
When you’re talking to someone in person, what you see and hear helps you understand what they’re trying to say. You can also see and hear if they’re “getting” it.
Even more important, those audio and visual cues help you “click”–and make it much easier to build rapport for two reasons…
- We got a lot of meaning out of those cues–the look on someone’s face, their tone of voice, gestures to show when they’re transitioning to a new point
- We usually automatically adapt what we say and do based on who we’re talking with…after all, you wouldn’t tell a story to your spouse exactly the same way you would to an old friend from high school
And if you don’t believe me, give online dating a try.
From the awkwardness of those first messages to how easily they can take what you said the wrong way (and vice versa) to meeting someone in person who turns out to be totally different than they seemed online–
You’ll learn pretty fast how hard it really can be to communicate and connect with someone via the Internet or other impersonal medium…
In short, the barstool advice only gets you part of the way. You still need to go back through and edit your copy to reflect the fact that you’re not right there and people are reading it.
Here are four ways to do that:
Cue them with transitions. Sometimes we jump around when we’re talking–change the topic without warning, or go back and forth about various points. Often, our body language or voice gives people a heads up so they can follow along. But when you’re writing, using transitions will help prevent confusion and give your copy more flow.
That means using words and phrases to cue the reader, such as: next, then, also, to start, on a similar note, on the other hand, but, in summary, and overall. If you have a list of points, numbering them helps as well–such as first, second, and finally.
Paint a picture in words. As the old journalism adage goes, “Show, don’t tell.”You don’t need (or want) paragraph-long descriptions in flowery prose. But you do need to give some context for what you’re saying.
For example, instead of saying your service will be profitable for them for the umpteenth time, paint a picture for them of the watching the sales roll into their inbox. And, give the features along with the benefits to make what they’re getting more tangible. The more they can “see” it, the more they will truly get it.
Root out possible offenders. For one, you want to change any “you should have” or “but you don’t won’t”– anything that looks like you’re blaming them for their situation. And if you’re listing all the ways they could have gone wrong or failed before, make sure you tell them it’s OK–they didn’t know better at the time.
You need to know what your target market may be sensitive about as well. Like the marketing-to-women campaign I was working on once, where someone had inserted a line telling financial advisors to make sure to tell women prospects to bring their husband to the appointment.
I understood why they wanted to say it. But I also knew phrasing it that way would be a disaster, since many women prospects would interpret it as “We know your husband is the real decision-maker” and head for the hills. Little tweaks can make all the difference.
Speak the customer’s language. You won’t be able to see when they’re nodding off or when they’re confused about something, so you have to make extra effort to ensure you’re speaking their language and explaining anything they may not be familiar with.
Overall, it’s ok to start out on that barstool–but make sure you go back and approach your copy like a reader, instead of just a listener.
