Did you know that, if you’re male, you can become a certified Pick-Up Artist (PUA)?
Whether you think it’s interesting or idiotic, a recent Sydney Morning Herald article (link at end) on the phenomenon got me thinking: Would the same principles of charming women also work to charm readers? After all, it’s just psychology, right?
With a bit of tweaking, yes:
- “Smile; it makes you more attractive.”
- Your writing IS you. People make snap judgments about you based on your document. So make it look sharp: Consider layout, formatting, graphics and overall presentation.
- Make emails more readable with bullet lists; short, chunky paragraphs; and above all (literally), a clear “summary” subject header.
- “Be genuine. Women can smell a lie.”
- To sound authentic, write (almost) like you speak. Use plain English.
- When persuading, admitting a small fault helps people believe your other claims.
- “Maintain strong eye contact. It shows confidence.”
- Get your eyes off your needs and onto your client’s. Listen carefully when they talk about what they need.
- “Talk about your passions. Bore yourself and you’ll bore her.”
- Be passionate about your topic. Choose your attitude. If you’re going to spend time on it, you may as well make it sing! Far from boring people, you’ll inspire them (and probably yourself).
- If it really does bore you, DIG. There’s gold in them thar hills; you just haven’t found it yet. Dig into your reader’s mind; what, about your topic, turns them on? Dig into the topic; what interesting angle hasn’t been covered yet?
- “Don’t use money to impress. You’ll just lose respect.”
- Deserve respect. Back up your claims with solid proof. Be specific; e.g., don’t tell them that X will save time, give them an idea of how much time.
- Good design is important, but won’t mask bad writing.
What do YOU think are the best ways to charm, engage or persuade your readers? Share them below!
Paul
P.S. Here’s the Sydney Morning Herald story on Pick-Up Artists.