Seriously, this one tool, if used properly, can make you more money than all the other time management, task management, image creation station, silver bullet tools on the interwebs combined.
I’m happy to be typing this to you because speaking the name gives me a lisp and a flush – seriously. I use the word in my bio and always feel a small pang of apology when an interviewer reads it aloud to introduce me.
Anyway, you’re here to learn so…
My not-so-secret weapon is…dun dun dun…The Thesaurus.
What? Wait, that’s not new, Ash. Boring. Hey you over there with shiny syndrome; if you used a thesaurus, you’d make more money. Are you interested now?
I never write a thing without some form of Thesaurus next to me – be it the massive tome The Synonym Finder by Rodale (good for going deep), Thesaurus.com, or my simple reference tools in Word (I tend to use this for rough drafts because not having to leave Word to look for a word, ha!, keeps me focused).
But Ash, I’m not a writer, why on earth would I care about referencing a Thesaurus?
Do you write anything for your business? Emails, sales pages, marketing copy?
Yes?
Well if you care for your bottom (line) then you’ll use it.
Here’s why.
The entire point of written communication is to land on a specific emotional set point that triggers a feeling which connects reader to writer/business/product/service, and, if it’s marketing communication, inspires them towards taking action.
The Thesaurus means the difference between performing surgery with a spoon or a scalpel. Doing heart surgery with a spoon almost guarantees the death of the patient.
Words may be synonyms, but they don’t hold the same weight, and the ones you choose can convey mightily different meanings depending on to whom you’re speaking, savvy?
The people you’re reaching must feel a strong emotion in order to make a buying decision. It’s likely they’ll need to feel it again and again. If you’re writing in generalities, you’re missing an opportunity to call them closer – and, if they’re not close, they’re not whipping out a credit card and then you can’t help them, even though they so desperately need it.
In that situation, nobody wins, and all because you weren’t specific in your word choice.
We want everyone to win so let’s cover the facts, kay?
What We Don’t Use The Thesaurus For
We don’t use the thesaurus to extract obscurities from the English language. This isn’t a spelling bee. The point of your communication is for people to connect emotionally, but if they can’t understand your meaning, they’re clicking off the page even faster than they would if you wrote in a string of clichés.
What We Do Use The Thesaurus For
Can you feel the difference between these sentences?
You run through your days without taking a breath.
You scramble through your days without taking a breath.
One is not better than the other, but they’re different.
The first, using run, feels like you live a fast paced endgame focused kind of life – maybe high-level corporate types.
The second, using scramble, feels like things are falling apart around you, everything is disorganized, and there’s simply too much to do – maybe solopreneurs without support, or single moms.
Do you see how a single word can trigger a different emotional reaction and therefore connect more with one audience than another?
The nuances of language are so subtle that they’re often overlooked, but words have the power to significantly alter the depth of connection, and therefore, the amount of money you make.
Guys, Ladies, Peeps (not the marshmallow kind), I want you to be successful, but, in order to do so, you’ve GOT to nail your communication.
I keep track of my clients after I’ve finished mentoring them on their messaging, and I will tell you hands down that they all write a million times better than they did when we started.
One Million Times.
I share that because I’ve gone back and forth between teaching more. But I’ve realized that I can’t not teach this. It’s too important.
So I’m putting together a 6 week course. You’ll get all the tools, templates (yea!) and training you need to communicate your message with clarity and confidence.
Each week I’ll be walking you through not only the how, but the why of specific pieces of copy. Because a template is worthless unless you know the why behind it and can therefore make it your own.
In Master Your Messaging we’ll cover
- Clarifying your message, mastering your voice, writing basics, what to do before you put pen to paper and ways to overcome writer’s block
- About pages, taglines, and home pages – aka the important shiz that you must do well
- The Art of Blog, The Nuance of Newsletter, & Nailing your headlines
- Secrets of Successful Sales pages
- Lead Magnets and Free Stuff
- Launch It! – all the copy you need to launch & market your product/service/program or freebie.
You’ll get templates and examples in every lesson. Whew, it’s going to be sweet, and it’s going to be affordable.
It’s happening, I’m thinking the 13th of October. If you want to be the first to know, Click Here, and I’ll email you when it’s ready.
This Ninja musing comes to you as part of the August Word Carnival, where every month a group of small business Carnies (owners) gather round to share their – often hilarious – wisdom about business and life. This month’s theme: Our Favorite Business Tools Under $10 Check out the other Carnies’ posts here.