Can You Hear Me? : How to Connect With People in a Virtual World (9781633694453) by Morgan Nick

Author:Morgan, Nick [Morgan, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781633694453
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc
Published: 2018-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Make sure your writing has a point of view

What we humans care about fundamentally is each other’s intent. When you write, figure out your point of view, and make it clear. State your point at the top, if possible. If not, present it as soon as possible. The alternative looks and feels to the receivers like sandbagging, and they feel betrayed. Don’t do it.

Don’t say, “Thanks for coming to the meeting yesterday. Your participation was helpful, and I think all the participants got something out of the entire meeting and the focus on the deliverables and structure for the reorg going forward. But next time, don’t show up late.”

Do say, “I was upset that you were late, but the meeting was productive, and everyone was satisfied with the outcome of the reorg.”

To make sure you do have a clear point of view, you need to find moments of passion. One of the best ways to keep your writing interesting is not to think about your passion in general—everyone knows you need passion—but rather to provide contrasting moments of calm and passion throughout the email. Contrast is memorable; a harangue all begins to sound the same after a while. Give people variety by working yourself up to a fine sizzle at key moments—but not all the time.

Tell the recipients something they don’t know—but don’t tell them everything you know. We all love to learn a little insider knowledge or a factoid that adds a bit of depth and complexity to a well-known story. The radio personality Paul Harvey made a whole career out of telling “the rest of the story,” adding little-known facts to familiar tales of historical personages and famous people. (“The name of that awkward lawyer who failed in business so many times? Abraham Lincoln.”)7

But we only crave a little extra knowledge. Too many writers dump way too much information on the reader. Restraint is key. Again, keep it as short as possible—but no shorter.

Build suspense by starting a story or promising an insight and then delivering it later. This technique works for Dan Brown, and it will work for you. Introduce something—“In the next paragraph, I’ll show you how to double your net worth in six months with a simple trick”—and then follow through on the promise. Don’t overuse this technique, and don’t commit the cardinal sin of upselling—promising “six ways to increase your IQ if you buy this other course I’m selling”—because upselling abuses the relationship between speaker and audience.

Finally, keep it real. Authenticity begins with clarity about your own values, goals, and needs. In this era, we demand more of one another—more authenticity, more emotion, and, yes, even more self-disclosure. You get to choose what you reveal. And we don’t want too much, but we need to know that you’re real. We need a point of view.

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