Get over yourself

Monday, 28 November 2016 16:13

Written by Julie K. Battle

“…big values, a little humility, straight talk and a genuine point of view.” (The Cluetrain Manifesto)

Be brave in your communications. Talk like you mean it. And never lose your sense of humor. It is what binds us together – the frail human condition that we all share.

I know what you’re thinking – how the heck does a regional bank or a national non-profit use a sense of humor in its communications? Or a family business that sells infrastructure solutions? I’m not talking about hardy-har-har, rolling on my back, feet kicking in the air laughing. It might be a slight wink in the copy or a visual that ever-so-gently taps the funny bone.

Straight talk, or candor, seems to elude people in their communications. Lots of times, writers try to deliver a punch of truth but it ends up like Play-Doh. It starts out solid and bright. Then people poke at it and slice it and add other bits to it and it ends up a dirty pile of nothing. Any semblance of candor is stuffed in a too-small container that looks like baby poo. And that certainly stinks.

You can do this. Dig deep, tell the truth, be real. With yourself, your products, your services. By getting out of your own way, you are making room for customers to get close. And that’s a fine idea.