Tag: writing

Lazy adjectives

Fabrizio1 Comment

A pervasive offering is not going to make you win.

A best-in-class solution is a fake promise.

Seamless integration with other tools is a given.

An optimized tool to increase productivity is just not enough.

A customer-driven way to increase leads is meaningless.

Unless it is to describe something that’s truly making you stand out, avoid using adjectives in your copy. Their use is inflated and they do not add any meaningful hint at the value you deliver.

They are a lazy shortcut.

Take the time to explain instead. In as little words as possible. In a clear language. In words your audience can relate to (and other audiences can’t).

Do the work.

Small is your buddy

FabrizioLeave a comment

Start from small.

A little thing that bothers you just a little. Something you want to change. Something you want to try. Something that’s been on your mind for a while.

Something small.

We often fail because we want to get to the end result right from the start.

We go on a diet, and we want the body we desire on week 1.

We start a blog, and we want an audience from day 1.

We land a new job, and we want to love it already on the first month.

We found a new company, and all we think about is to make it a unicorn.

Start from small instead. Break the big achievement down into small, if you need.

Small is your buddy.

It’s natural

FabrizioLeave a comment

Understand that it is normal to want to make things complex.

To want to add just one more feature. To want to make a clause for that particular case. To want to split the price to make it more flexible. To want to tell exactly how it works. To want to cover all the needs of all possible audiences. To want to factor in all the preferences of all possible stakeholders.

Understand that it is normal to want all of this.

And understand also that customers want simple. You yourself want simple when you are the customer.

Complexity is natural. It is also not what is going to make your business grow.

Make it matter

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When somebody tells you that you are not ready for a project, a new challenge, a promotion, there are two ways you can react.

You can behave as if you were not given the responsibility. That’s easy, because you were not. It is the attitude of “why should I?”, of “it won’t matter”.

Or you can behave as if you were given the responsibility. Do what you would have. It is the attitude of “I can”, of “I will make it matter”.

Which one will you choose?

Praiseworthy

FabrizioLeave a comment

When you do something praiseworthy, you will get approval.

The feedback you get is going to make you feel good, and possibly you will set out to do some other things that will be worth the praise of your peers and audience.

Are you in it for the doing or for the approval?

That is a silly question to ask, because most likely you have mixed motives.

The question to ask, instead, is: would you do it anyway if there was no approval?

That’s how you define passion.