Are you listening?
How asking good questions and actively listening to the answers can unlock your business story.
Think about your favourite people. Your go-to friends. The people you’d have two beers with AND leave your puppy with for a weekend as per Ross McCammon’s ultimate trust test.
I bet your favourite people are good listeners. All of my favourite people are great listeners. They have empathy. When we talk, I feel heard. It’s a great feeling.
Well-written copy has the same effect. Feeling heard makes people feel comfortable. It generates trust.
How can you achieve this with your copy? First, you have to define your ideal client. Not just the sectors they operate in or the jobs they do, but what they stand for and how they work. Second, you have to tap into their emotions. Lastly, your copy needs to answer this question: WHY NOW?
Get to know your customers
Sounds obvious, but unless you know exactly who you’re talking to and why you’ll struggle to know how to reach them or what to say.
Importantly, it’s almost impossible to offer solutions until you understand what your customer’s pain points are.
Which got me thinking - what issues do entrepreneurs, small businesses and brands face at the moment? What do my clients need help with?
Is compelling, storytelling copy the solution? I obviously think it is. If we were to work together, these are the sorts of questions I’d be asking to start the conversation:
How does the cost of living crisis affect the way you sell things? Does your sales copy need to be less BUY NOW and more: “Hey, let’s be friends.”
Do you want to talk about sustainability but you’re not sure how to avoid greenwashing?
How important are diversity and inclusivity to you and your business? How does this affect your communication strategy? Are you nervous about offending and so you end up saying nothing on this topic?
Why is storytelling important to you?
Do you worry that you don’t have anything worthwhile to say? That you don’t have a good story? (Trust me, you do).
Or maybe you have so many content ideas but you don’t know where to start?
Maybe you’re too busy running your business to write your web copy/ blogs/ newsletters/ social captions (so many words) - how would you feel about outsourcing this to someone else?
Curiosity is key
As you can see, I’m not averse to asking questions. And I like to think I’m a good listener. It can seem intrusive, maybe unnecessary, but I truly believe that to get to the nitty-gritty of what a business is all about, you have to be prepared to ask those honest questions and work hard at processing the answers. Curiosity is key.
As Kate Murphy says in her book You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters:
“Hearing is passive. Listening is active. The best listeners focus their attention and recruit other senses to the effort. Their brains work hard to process all that incoming information and find meaning, which opens the door to creativity, empathy, insight, and knowledge. Understanding is the goal of listening, and it takes effort.”
Ann Handley, the digital marketing pioneer, brilliantly illustrates the effectiveness of using empathy when writing copy:
“Your words are a hand mirror for your reader. They see their own faces beaming back at them (but 10% more attractive). They feel an It's-me! moment. They feel seen.”
You can do this with your own business copy. Think about your customers and what problems they face. Ask them questions and actively listen to the answers. Then show them how you or your product can make a difference.
And if this sort of exercise isn’t your bag, get in touch because it’s very much mine.
