Hey smart person? Want to be a better writer?

We work with some of the smartest people in their fields. They’ve forgotten more about their area of expertise than most people will ever know.?

And they want to share their knowledge.?

We have a simple Proven Story Structure? all stories should follow - from white papers to emails, and tiny Tweets.?

1. Get my attention
2. Make me care
3. Make your case
4. Make it easy?

Simple, right? Okay…but how??

If you take away one thing from this newsletter, it’s this:

Be you, not the watered-down professional-sounding robot who writes like they’re getting paid by the syllable. In a world of infinity information, the only thing YOU have that ChatGPT doesn’t, is your point of view. That’s your value. Put it out there.?

If you want more, here are 5 tips for crushing it every time you write:

1. Use yourself as a filter. Would you stop and read this thing? Your headline and first sentence are like a contract with your audience that says: this will be worth my time. Get it right. Don’t waste the words with throw away introductions like: “I’m writing to follow up”, or “As everyone in the industry knows…”
2. Avoid adjectives and adverbs, the descriptive words. They are a sign you haven’t captured the real story. If something is amazing, don’t say so. Show me, and let me arrive at the conclusion that it’s amazing, innovative, revolutionary….you get the idea.?
3. Use active voice. Simple words. Get to the point. Edit your stuff - go back through a draft and get rid of at least 20% of the extra words. They are definitely in there!
4. Don’t let information stand in for communication. We see so many articles crafted by ChatGPT these days. And you can tell. It’s great information but it’s no replacement for YOU. Write how you would show up in a conversation.?
5. Don’t over-complicate your message. It can give the impression you’re compensating for something — often having the opposite impact you’re hoping for. Write at a fifth or sixth grade level. Even the smartest people in the world don’t want to work hard to understand your message.

That’s it. Can’t wait to read, watch or listen to your next story!