Tell, don’t sell?

The question mark is there for a reason: sometimes, just writing to sell works.  It could be the best way to shift stock that’s still lying around, or ask people to come to a one-off, last-minute event.

It’s not the best way to build the kind of warmth and trust that makes people feel comfortable about spending their hard-earned cash on you and your wares.

That’s a huge bonus if, like me, you cringe at the very idea of “selling” yourself.

In an ideal world I wouldn’t have to write this at all, because your telepathic mind would know it already.  It’d also know how I work and what I’ve achieved.  In other words, there’d be no need for me to agonise over silly things like “…if I share this nice review of my writing, will people think I’ve got a head the size of a Californian redwood?”

(I have, but that’s not the point).

Since we don’t live in an ideal world, if you want people to know who you are and what you do, you’ve got to tell them.

You’ve got to tell them in a way that still sounds like you, even when you’re writing rather than speaking.

Why?  Writing as you speak means you’ll sound natural yet enticingly distinctive, since we’ve each got our own unique way of communicating.  (Could you identify the voice of your best friend from a set of written transcripts?  I bet you could).

You’ll also sound reassuringly consistent.

I can’t be the only person who’s been reeled in by a chatty website and friendly social-media updates, only for my heart to sink when I meet the grumpy, unhelpful team behind them.

I’m not saying you should write in a grumpy and unhelpful way, unless that really is your thing (Wong Kei, famously dubbed “the rudest restaurant in London”, has been trading on these qualities for years).

Just tell people about the aspects of your products or services you’re most comfortable talking about.  That might not be radiant customer service, but finely-honed expertise, or a reassuringly dependable approach.

Here’s a good test: if you cringe at the thought of saying your website copy or social-media updates out loud, it’s probably time for a change.

What about that big business buzzword: storytelling?  The same rule applies: tell stories you wouldn’t mind saying in person.  Remember: they don’t have to be long or complicated, just real and memorable.

“Memorable” comes from well-chosen detail. “Real” comes from you.

Here’s an example of a real, memorable, and natural-sounding story, taken from Innocent’s website.

Writing to sell? An innocent story from the days before Innocent got Coke-ified

Feel the fear, and tell it anyway.

Writing as you speak can feel scary.  You won’t be able to hide behind bland business speak or colourless corporate-ese.

But the best-known, most-loved businesses are the ones that communicate with a unique and consistent voice.  That voice could belong to the founder or wholly to the brand… either way, when you read it, you know it’s them. 

So be brave, and start writing as yourself.  The rewards will come, because writing to tell still means writing to sell.  It’s just selling in a much nicer, much more personal way that’s not just profitable, but deeply rewarding.

If you struggle to sound like yourself in writing, I can help – by getting to the beating heart of what you want to say, then saying it clearly and compellingly… in words you’d naturally use yourself.

Get in touch to set up a relaxed, no-obligation chat.