When you want to sell your products and services online, sounding like an advertisement is the biggest turn-off. Especially to quality clients.

Because quality clients want something different.

Even if they have never met you, they want to feel like they know you.

And one of the ways that you as an entrepreneur can create that feeling is by letting go of trying to “sell people” all the time.

(What a horrible phrase, “sell people.” It connotes slavery or manipulation. Word to the wise: there’s nothing morally objectionable about sales. There is something screwy and hopelessly unclassy about thinking your skillset selling people. Gross.)

So, how do you stop sounding like your advertising, and sounding more like a real person?

1. Shift your focus off yourself. Especially if you are worried about looking foolish or not doing it right, it helps to stop thinking about yourself and focus on how you can help others instead. For example, if you are writing a blog post, shift your focus off “what if I make an ass of myself?” and put it on “what one issue do I see coming up for my audience, that I can help them resolve?”
2. Before writing, pause to connect. Picture one ideal client. Some of my students will actually post a picture of their ideal client by their computer, to remember to write to her. Stop. Connect with that person. Then write your message. This makes your writing feel more conversational and less like advertising.
3. Learn to write copy. Copywriting is the gas that makes an online business go. It’s different than the writing we learned in school. If you want to sell online without sounding salesy, you need to know how to do it right. I’ve got clients who are million dollar business owners, and they learned how to write copy – even though they have hired me as their writer. It’s just that important.
4. Cut yourself some slack. As a Recovering Perfectionist, I’m no stranger to wanting to be 100% Perfect All the Time. But the truth is, writing conversationally is a skill that you must practice In Real Life to get better at it. I can show you some great tips and tricks, but at the end of the day, experience is your best teacher.

Also?

Sometimes your marketing will bomb.

Sometimes no one will share your post.

Sometimes you’ll write an opt-in page that you will need to tweak 10 times before it actually starts to work.

And that’s okay.

In fact, it’s totally normal.

You can’t protect yourself from failure.

It’s part of the game.

The thing is, you don’t get to play the game if you are sitting in the bleachers.

You’ve got to get on the court.

As you build your confidence, you’ll find your voice in your writing.

We’d love to hear from YOU…

Does your sales copy really feel like YOU? What’s one thing you can do to put more of your authentic voice into your copy? Leave your answer in the comments below! 

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blogging, business owner, business writing, copywriting, December 2015 Issue, entrepreneur, online business, sales copy, women in business, writing