People often ask me how I write the way I do…
How I can “unleash” the message the way I do,
and as OFTEN as I do, (daily)
and how seemingly unrelated “topics”
EFFECTIVELY SELL…
whatever it is I’m selling that day.
The answer is simple,
but also a BIG FAT CONTRADICTION.
In order to fully understand the way I WRITE TO SELL, you must first know that writing is MY FORM of “art.” I am not gifted in any other way. I can’t sing or dance, draw or paint. I used to act, but I don’t think I’m particularly gifted in that either.
So, I write. It’s what I do. And, secretly…. even as a young girl in the exquisite seclusion of my closet or tucked above — and away from — the world in some tree somewhere, I’ve ALWAYS written.
And here’s the contradiction:
I write to write, always.
I write the way a painter paints.
I write to unleash whatever is inside me.
I NEVER burden my writing with the goal of selling…
which is WHY,
of course,
it sells.
I guess a quick analogy I can draw is akin to writing for SEO, or writing for human inspiration. The first can feel clunky, awkward, forced. The second is more natural. BUT, when you write for human inspiration, SEO can also — and often does — HAPPEN naturally.
Actually, I think that’s a pretty weak analogy, but I’ll leave it because it may help clarify this for SOMEONE. It’s like the girl or guy in high school who never really TRIED, but was liked and known by everyone… and you somehow KNEW intrinsically this was BECAUSE he or she didn’t try.
Okay, the four key principles that I use to WRITE TO SELL…. and have people consuming and sharing my “sales messages” all the while thanking me for writing them.
1. I SET AN INTENTION…
WHEN I WRITE, I SELL.
THIS IS JUST THE WAY IT IS.
Now, I don’t do this every day… before every post. But, somewhere along the way, I re-coded myself to believe and to trust that my writing compels sales. =) I wrote it out daily for a long time. “When I write, I sell. When I write more, I sell more. When I unleash the message inside of me, I draw in my ideal tribe.” So, I do have both a stated and just ACCEPTED intention that when I write, my writing sells.
2. I UNLEASH THE MESSAGE,
WHATEVER IS IN MY HEART,
WITHOUT THE BURDEN OF MY OWN JUDGEMENT.
I don’t re-read,
and edit (#obviously)
and concern myself with whether I shared too much, or whether I should take that part out, or whether it will sell, or whether it is enough or whatever.
The ONLY questions I DO ask about my writing are these:
— is it TRUE?
and
— can it help someone?
If the answer is YES… I move on to:
3. I RELEASE THE MESSAGE
WITHOUT THE BURDEN
OF WONDERING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S JUDGEMENT.
I’ll never forget this one man, a very short-term client of mine. He accepted one of my proposals and then I sent him a PayPal invoice.
I got this email message — after the invoice was paid — ADVISING me that using PayPal made me look “desperate” as a professional.
Now, this was back in the day,
before PayPal was cool, I guess,
and you accepted money in an instant, but had to wait several days before the money could actually be seen in your checking account.
So, I was simultaneously irritated and amused by his “advice,” as he was the one paying ME for advice and not the other way around… but also QUITE perplexed as to how my chosen method of payment could POSSIBLY make me look “desperate.”
But I learned that whatever ANYONE thinks of me is their business…. not mine. We are ALL judged, daily. That’s the “inconvenient truth” of life. People have judged me for my faith, my “all over the place” political leanings, my hair, my body, my commitment to my family (particularly my husband,) and EVEN how little I travel… which, frankly, I think is a lot.
So, I release their judgement…. completely.
I let their judgement fall on deaf ears.
I don’t even register it any more, because it doesn’t matter.
I don’t have ears to hear it anymore.
I’m simply NOT AVAILABLE for the arbitrary judgement that may come my way.
Recently, I was in the position of selling to a high school friend. As we spoke on the phone, i was flooded with memories she and I had together. The wild trips down to the OBX, the stops we made on the way, the music we listened to, the secrets we shared. And I was like, HARD CORE SELLING.
I briefly considered backing off….
BUT,
I was selling the media event I have coming up in NYC.
This event is a game changer for ANYONE.
I mean, people sell these events to a MUCH more crowded room, with MUCH LOWER LEVEL (think regional or local) media outlets for TRIPLE what we’re charging.
And this event is a MUST for her.
She literally can’t miss it.
In my heart, pitching this event,
I’m HARD CORE begging the people I love most to attend.
Because
it
will
change
everything.
Fortunately, my friend said yes. =)
But I didn’t let the fear of judgement stop me from saying what was in my heart for her. With regards to YOUR art, whether it’s writing or videoing or painting or photography or speaking or whatever…. don’t EVER let the fear of being judged keep you from DISPLAYING what’s in your heart.
And then, once I’ve put it all out there,
without judging myself,
and published
without the fear of being judged
(you know, because we ARE being judged,
every day,
and it doesn’t matter!)
4. I ACTIVATE THE INTENTION (MENTIONED IN KEY PRINCIPLE #1) WITH A CALL TO ACTION.
ALWAYS.
Like this:
Just because I may not have reached out to you PERSONALLY about coming to the media event in NYC…
you know, the event where THE editor in Chief of Entrepreneur magazine … and THE top producer for Rachael Ray and THE producer for Dr. Oz …. and THE special projects producer for CNN… and the editor for Business Insider and MORE are coming to FIND stories to put on NATIONAL DISPLAY… doesn’t meant I don’t want you there.
Message me,
FAST,
because we only have a couple of spots left.
