It’s customer service 101 —
- Take the “I” out of your writing
- Or should you?
When the “I”s Have It
Rebecca Garland wrote a recent post at All Freelance Writing about the “missing I.”
She made excellent points about the importance of including yourself in your writing.
- If readers don’t know you – how are they going to engage with you?
- Your writing may be motivational, useful and informative – but who are you?
- What do you stand for?
- How do readers know they can trust you?
All great points, but what about —
- Focus on “you” instead of “I”
- Put the customer first
- There is no “I” in team
- Blah, blah, blah
I Balance You
We humans have our funny quirks —
- We want to talk about ourselves
- We want you to give us what we want
- We want to know you before we accept what you’re offering
Somehow, we have to figure out the formula —
I + Balance + You = Sold
Business writing is selling – even if it’s the soft sell of acceptance.
The I Chart Test
Are you more confused than ever?
How do you know when to sprinkle in “I” and when to focus on “You”?
Start With You
Readers want to know what’s in it for them.
- A heading that reads: How I Earned $10,000 a Month pales compared with —
- How You Can Earn $10,000 a Month
I Support
Readers are skeptical. A previous post identified five bottom line questions for a reader —
- Who are you?
- Why should I care?
- What problem(s) are you going to solve for me?
- What makes your product/service different from any other?
- Prove it.
Use “I” for support = prove it.
When all else fails – use this simple I Chart Test —
What tips do you have for balancing “I” with “you”?
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Excellent points, Cathy.
Always, a customer is looking out for their own interests first.
But can “I” help them?
First, tell them “I’ understand their problem/need/desire.
Then tell them “I” can help them.
Then show them “I’ve” been there, how “I” empathize,
and this is how “I” will help them.
It’s still all about relationships.
The “I’s” always have to reflect back to them.
Otherwise, why would/should they care? 🙂
Sharie:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. “I” 🙂 love these ideas! Do I hear a blog post in your future on this? 🙂 Very well done.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cathy, this is very similiar to the rules of using social media. Some information about who you are and what you stand for are necessary to grow a connection to a relationship. You need to give a little of yourself but at the same time always remember you are there to provide value. The same is true when trying to turn a prospect into a customer. This is a great summary of how to do that in any type of networking situation.
Hi Jen:
Thanks for dropping by. I totally agree. It’s like Sharie said, It’s still all about relationships. And the underlying core of that is trust. Do I trust you enough to do business with you?
Thanks for your thoughts, Jen.
Cathy,
Thank you for your kind words.
Aha! I do believe you may be right… 😉
Thanks for stopping by, Sharie, and let me know if you write that post. 🙂