The #1 mistake most writing makes

Think of someone in your life who’s always talking about themselves. Does a certain face immediately come to mind? [Rich Life Insiders Banner](113/d586LZ04/VW2yvv2BgMdGW6Pl33V98pLyFW5g6HvJ5gw91cN80643x3qn9gW7Y8-PT6lZ3pHW8BH8Sk3FnNM1W4t86sJ6ZgPQjW5mVCD28Y4gPmW1WZT678Twz_wN3qMf5hPD1GcW8N-LCc32tD_JW54ML4s1rlKdqW2fgcxZ6PSP-dW2PYjrk4szWXmW6jlnGF7cS8mVN6mDzFgl3HSFN2G--tRqTlMqW5HrJpW9lXXbBW1d0_V531Nq9tW6ZCMlr49xF3yW6zcTx97KT0NLW8cyZbr28FKrmW3g-py97k0rt0N449rRZJRz_GW2lnHDp2RbxWNW4Kw8gG83p7DGVxxDwg34BJFQW635RLg5b7WdNW5Trj1p7V53c-W8qJPpT76cZ7cVP59vB6s0qQ6f70gZW404) {NAME}, Earlier this week, I sent you an email about personal storytelling. Now I have a challenge for you: Think of someone in your life who’s always talking about themselves. Does a certain face immediately come to mind? In every conversation, this person goes on and on about themselves, their experiences, their thoughts, their problems, their plans… It’s a symphony of I, I, I. And it gets boring REAL fast. [Shift your focus from internal to external] My advice when we get into this habit Eventually, you just check out. You start mentally running through lists of chores, or daydreaming about your next vacation, or catching up on my emails. As much as you want to be a good listener, it’s just not that interesting to listen to someone talk endlessly about themselves. Today, I’ll show you a simple switch you can make to: 1) avoid accidentally being this person (because no one WANTS to be this person) and 2) instantly become more persuasive, even if you don’t “sell” anything. The #1 mistake most business writing makes From Fortune 100 company websites down to simple emails between employees and bosses, I see this same simple mistake over and over. Every piece of writing comes from the point of view of the writer. The writing is peppered with “we,” “our,” and “us.” I call this “I, I, I syndrome.” And in both writing and verbal conversation, this language has the exact same effect. The reader or listener gets turned off, and checks out. Think about it: Wouldn’t you rather hear about YOU? “You” language is the key to persuasion Maybe you’ve come across this Dale Carnegie quote: “Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Don’t you agree, {NAME}? But it’s way too easy to overuse someone’s name… …and race over the extremely thin line separating “friendly and considerate” from “creepy/definitely has an ulterior motive.” So instead of including someone’s name in every other sentence, just use more second-person “you” pronouns. A [2020 study](113/d586LZ04/VW2yvv2BgMdGW6Pl33V98pLyFW5g6HvJ5gw91cN8064463qn9gW95jsWP6lZ3ndMZvp9R_LkkvW6rJ3mT8PP890W7ClBX68hdvSLW7d15fL8zd83HW16dc1j8bB46HN6D_-CF3kHFDW5y9qZ_98swG2W5BPNvV92D6nCW7wtKGd8mXvHBW3zXn1y8ZjwWBVbSx2m1KGXyZW6ZMQ4y31pMgnW8LndcS1t9nc5W4ckX0R4hTNK6N81vClYQdYPnW75JLM_66_NXfVJ4Wh080001PW80JPSc79hvkzW8xkNM46qL0lWN41dnD23Hxt8W1DJMQ38xlJDNW5ZMgJn3y4W4LW5B6c6n9jm_TJW1JY3C76rjzc5VJKMKJ4dJNTjW1PLX9Y1DFrnFW5kqyMh1mp0ZtW286tM27x1b3sW6czbwl6m4TwQN2c0gw0Qcb3kf12LqsW04) published in Psychological Science found that not only do “you” pronouns “facilitate feelings of social connection,” they may also strengthen mental simulation and involvement. That means that, similar to how storytelling activates parts of the brain associated with empathy — read my email from Monday if you missed this — writing TO a reader using “you” actually helps you picture yourself in certain situations. (See?) Try this quick experiment Go through the last thing you wrote (or typed). It could be an email in your work inbox, or a text conversation with a friend, or another type of writing. Just look for something with more than a few lines of text. - Now bold every time you see the words “I,” “me,” or “my.” - Then underline everywhere you wrote “you” or “yours.” How many bolded words do you have? How many underlines? If your bolded words far outnumber your underlined words, you may have I, I, I syndrome. [Ramit working on his laptop] I’m not a doctor, but I can confidently diagnose self-absorbed copy. Next, choose an “I”-focused sentence from your own email or text. Then think about how you could rewrite that sentence with a “you” focus. For example, I’ll rewrite the cold email outreach I get spammed with every week: “I’d love to find a time to tell you about our small business payroll platform. Is there a time on my calendar that works?” That’s a 3-to-1 “I” to “you” ratio. Not great! If this spammer had simply used more “you” language, here’s how that email could look: “Do you hate your small business payroll platform? If you’re thinking of making the switch, you’ll love [COMPANY NAME]. Can I hop on your calendar for a quick demo?” Did you count all the “you”s? There are FOUR now instead of just one. Just like that, I’ve reversed the ratio and made the email MUCH more interesting. Because now, it’s about the reader. Making your writing about the reader means you’ll be much more likely to make the “sale” (which, in this case, would be booking a call). By the way… You’re always selling, whether you know it or not Whether you’re a: - Business owner selling a product or service - Potential new hire selling your greatness during a job interview - Partner selling a beach vacation to your sun-hating spouse You use persuasive language every day to sell your ideas. But could you be MORE persuasive? My guess is yes. If you found this email useful, make sure you open every email I send over the next couple weeks. I’ll be sharing more ways to sell with writing, and even turn your writing into a business that funds your Rich Life. Stay tuned next week. [Ramit Sethi Signature] P.S. Let me know what happens when you start shifting from “I” to “you” in your writing. I predict big changes. P.P.S. Over the last few months, I’ve hosted live events in NYC, Boston, and Philly. I’ve gotten to talk to couples — LIVE on stage — about their money psychology, salary, debt, spending, and saving. I’m so grateful for the I Will Teach You To Be Rich audience. That’s why I’m excited to announce the next stop on my live tour: WHEN: Mon, July 1 at 7pm WHERE: The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA [Get your tickets today](113/d586LZ04/VW2yvv2BgMdGW6Pl33V98pLyFW5g6HvJ5gw91cN80642F5nXHsW69t95C6lZ3lLW7dD3Bg3lMqcSW7gkfLl1BmPr-W80Vzc_8gx7JRW9gN0xv6-vzjCW8V4dBX77wZHmW17Ch1h41VxbMN3HjvzsHzXHPW3dyDCw1_JGMCN83zGgC2khlXW2vsvmd6kGZdyW2Q-MNt98jbP2W5-MSbD2tllzSW5vFTT498G7-KW3LvWtT8hyf-gVb-lKb8p79dGW4tZ2N975jP2jW1szqSQ2c43zSW58J-gr3LjgGJW8ChZX82bK9m1N7Bzgggjvc9tW4NRWsh4V04WDN9b3XJzXQbZLW81SYzw6ZsB_PW2ZGs6J8zWdrtW45HDmn3gKRyQW4GfzfK4k30tnW8txJhT2fzT7pW3hTjT87pNtmKW4BNpSK5kNVHQW1ZQw6b8Md1XkW9lq_PY7tz3VKW240Kv92H0CY-W5_CZh97MGrHgW6KLhSc1yrKVTW35Y3T42pM03dW2ms3884H61V9d7VB4-04). Seats are filling up fast. 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