When I was 10 years old, my parents bought each of their children a Christmas present so big that it couldn’t be wrapped.
We were sitting in our living room, staring at these gifts, covered in blankets, waiting anxiously to find out what we got. I love the feeling of anticipation. So I let each of my siblings “unwrap” their gifts first.
My brother lifted his blanket to reveal…new skis and a ski pass.
My older sister lifted her blanket to reveal…the biggest boombox I had ever seen.
My little sister lifted her blanket to reveal…a pink and purple 10-speed bicycle.
By now, the anticipation was more than I could stand. Because I would have LOVED any of those presents.
I stepped up, took off the blanket and saw…
A 20-gallon fish tank.
Somehow, I managed to hide my absolute devastation. Because my mom didn’t find out (until I was an adult) how much I dislike fish. They’re stinky and slimy and aquariums take a lot of work.
Worst gift I ever got.
Want to know the greatest gift I ever received?
Confidence.
You see, I grew up in a house where “achievement” was the standard. When we played sports, we were the all-stars. When we joined debate clubs, we spent our family time together practicing impromptu speeches. My mom’s motto for planning future careers was “You can be whatever you want to be. Just make sure you’re the best.”
I know what that sounds like. But there was no added pressure. If we changed our minds about something, it was fine. If we lost interest in an activity, we could quit. No big deal. But if we did something, we did it the best we could and then accepted the outcome.
When I became an adult, the compliments I received far more than any others were, “You’re so confident.”
Honestly, it confused me. Because I couldn’t figure out why other people were less sure of themselves.
You are a business owner. And you know what? That takes an incredible amount of strength and confidence.
However, I often see that confidence crumble as business owners sit down to write content. Not everyone. And hopefully, you’re as confident writing your message as you are speaking your message. But for a lot of business owners, the written word brings out all their insecurities.
Guess what? You don’t have to be an expert copywriter to write with confidence. Here are some ways to easily add strength to your copy:
1 – Push people to the sale (even multiple times in the same email) knowing that your product or service is going to change their life. A “buy now” button shows you believe in your own offering.
2 – Drop the “ramp up” copy at the beginning of your emails. For example, you can replace:
“I wanted to reach out and send you this email because I think we’ve lost touch with you. We were going through our records and discovered that it’s been a few months since you opened any emails from us. And we wanted to know if…”
With:
“What happened, [CONTACT’S NAME]? Did you lose interest in [CONTENT YOU COVER IN YOUR EMAILS]?”
3 – Avoid the words just, actually, hopefully, kind of, and sorry. There’s a great article about these words that you can read here: https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-common-words-that-make-you-sound-less-confident-in-emails
4 – Indicate a continuing relationship. Make the assumption your contacts are in it for the long haul and communicate accordingly.
For example:
“Next week I’m sharing some examples…”
“I’ll be sending more tips your way soon. If you need to reach me before then…”
5 – Give your contacts a chance to respond. Ask for them to ‘reply’ to your email. Or include your phone number. Give them ways to truly build that relationship with you. Remember, you’re not trying to talk at your contacts, you’re trying to engage them.
Right now, we need leadership. Strong, confident people to lead us through this pandemic. Even if you don’t feel it entirely, be that leader for your community. Make sure your content reflects the personal strength that you already have.
