1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: You've heard it a million times. 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 2: Improving your writing will make you better at just about 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 2: any job you can think of. 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: But how do you actually improve? How do you hone 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: the craft? 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 2: Marketing expert and best selling author and Handley dedicates much 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: of her own writing to teaching the craft, and she 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: says the most important component of effective writing is the 9 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: unique voice of the author, Especially today when everyone with 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: a social media account is a de facto marketer and 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: AI writing tools are improving at rapid speed. The ability 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 2: to communicate with your own, unique, unaffected voice is the 13 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: key skill that makes great writers stand out. So how 14 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: do you write in your own voice? And more importantly, 15 00:00:53,760 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: how do you get better at it? My name is 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: doctor amanthe Immer. I'm an organizational psychologist and the founder 17 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: of behavioral science consultancy Inventium, and this is how I 18 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 2: work a show about how to help you do your 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: best work. On today's My Favorite Tip episode, we go 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 2: back to an interview from the past and I pick 21 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: out my favorite tip from the interview. In today's show, 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: I speak with Anne Handling and this conversation starts with 23 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 2: Anne talking about how she approached creating the second edition 24 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: of her best selling book on writing called Everybody Writes, 25 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 2: And I might just add, if your job involves anything 26 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: to do with writing, even if it's just writing emails, 27 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: you need to read this book right now. 28 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 3: So my intention was to do the equivalent of you know, 29 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 3: you know, running the vacuum over the place, maybe doing 30 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: a little lake dusting, you know, maybe spray some like 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 3: you know, like spray some for breathe around and like 32 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 3: freshen it up in that way. Then I said down 33 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: to read it again, just to start making some notes, 34 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 3: and I thought, you know, I'll probably end up with 35 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 3: like maybe ten pages of notes of things that I 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 3: need to change. But as I started reading, I kept 37 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 3: writing things down and writing things down. The next thing 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 3: I know, I had thirty pages of notes and then 39 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 3: forty pages of notes, and I was like, uh oh, 40 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 3: I think what we're going to do here is not 41 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 3: a dusting and not a vacuuming, not for breezing depression. Instead, 42 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 3: what we're going to do is take it right down 43 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:26,839 Speaker 3: to the studs and we're going to build it from 44 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 3: the ground up. So to your point, it's like, yeah, 45 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 3: a lot of the bones are there, like a lot 46 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 3: is similar, but there's also a whole lot of news 47 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 3: stuff in it, and a lot of that reflects my thinking. So, 48 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 3: for example, in the first edition, I talked about thirteen 49 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 3: things that we as creators, as entrepreneurs, as businesses, right, 50 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 3: as business owners right. In the second edition there's twenty things. 51 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: Now, why is that. 52 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 3: It's not because I discovered there's, like, you know, things 53 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 3: that have been around forever. It's because they've happened in 54 00:02:59,000 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 3: the past eight years. 55 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: You know. 56 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 3: It's because now we are writing a whole lot more, 57 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 3: We're communicating a whole lot more. There's new channels and 58 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 3: new new areas of communication that we need to explore. 59 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 3: And in some cases my thinking has expanded too. Like 60 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: in the first edition I had a very very thin 61 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,119 Speaker 3: chapter about email. The second edition I have three chapters 62 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 3: all about email, email, newsletters, direct response email, and why 63 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 3: I believe so strongly and in email as a communication tool. 64 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 3: So all of that had changed. But you know, what's 65 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 3: more than that, And I think this kind of answers 66 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 3: your question, like I've changed, you know, because one of 67 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: the things that I really realized what I went through 68 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: and started reading the first edition of the book in 69 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 3: anticipation of writing the next edition, was that how different 70 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: my voice sounded. And as I read the first edition, 71 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 3: I almost didn't recognize the writer, even though the writer 72 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,119 Speaker 3: was me, Even though I wrote that, you know, eight 73 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 3: or nine years ago, at this point, I didn't recognize 74 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 3: how I phrased things. And I sensed, this feels a 75 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 3: little bit uptight, and this writer feels like, you know, 76 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 3: she has some anxiety. And that was me. So one 77 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 3: of the things I did was kind of got rid 78 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 3: of all that. I kind of addressed it head on 79 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 3: and just rewrote it with my own voice now. And 80 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: what I've done over the past, you know, eight years 81 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 3: since the first edition, in particularly i'd say in the 82 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: last four or five years, is that I've been a 83 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 3: much more consistent creator in a public way, so that 84 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 3: even though I wrote a book like I just I 85 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 3: wasn't necessarily practicing writing on a regular basis. And what 86 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 3: I've done is I've launched an email newsletter, for example, 87 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 3: And the significance of that is that I publish every 88 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 3: other Sunday, and that means that I have a deadline 89 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 3: that I set for myself every other Sunday I have 90 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 3: to whether I want to or not. I'm communicating with 91 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 3: an audience offering them value, and it's taught me a 92 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 3: lot about how to engage others through my writing, just 93 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 3: through that the kind of practice of that email newsletter. 94 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 3: So it's not just an e mail newsletter. Really what 95 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 3: it is is it's really it's been it's been a 96 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: way that I've grown like as a writer. I mean, 97 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 3: certainly like marketing has changed, channels have changed, all the 98 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 3: things that you know that that are new in marketing, 99 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 3: but also our world has changed. You know, we are 100 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,559 Speaker 3: here in you know, at the very end of twenty 101 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 3: twenty two, you and I were talking heading into twenty 102 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 3: twenty three, and we're still in a post COVID world, 103 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 3: and we were always being a post COVID world, but 104 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 3: we're still you know, the effects of it are still 105 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 3: with us, and so that, yeah, there's a lot of 106 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 3: things that have changed. We've changed, the world has changed, 107 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 3: marketing has changed, and I've changed. 108 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: You mentioned how the voice of Anne had changed in 109 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: the last eight years, and I guess, you know, you 110 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: could call that your your brand voice. 111 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: I'm curious as to how have you gone about developing 112 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 2: or finding your brand voice, because I feel like it's 113 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 2: something that a lot of people struggle with and they 114 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: feel like they just have to fit into the corporate 115 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 2: brand for example, that they work within. 116 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 3: A big misconception about brand voice is that it's something 117 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 3: you find. You know that it doesn't exist and you 118 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 3: like are are walking in the forest one day and 119 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 3: you trip over it. No, it's like, oh, look there's 120 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 3: my brand voice. Like it doesn't work that way. Instead, 121 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 3: it's actually something that's already inside you. I mean, it's 122 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 3: already there, and I think it's about tapping into it 123 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 3: and allowing it to come out, having the confidence to 124 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 3: let it out, all of those things instead of finding 125 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 3: your voice because we all, you know, we all have it. 126 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 3: It's not like an artificial thing that's like thrust upon 127 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 3: us externally. Instead, it's within us what we're working with 128 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 3: brands though, Like say, for example, if I'm a content 129 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 3: creator who is writing I don't know, maybe writing blog 130 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 3: posts for like a big corporate brand, Well, like how 131 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 3: do I figure out like using my voice within that construct? 132 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 3: I mean, think about the parameters of your brand? Who 133 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 3: are you? What do you stand for? Or not you personally? 134 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 3: But the brandy work for, like what are they all about? 135 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,799 Speaker 3: Like they should have some parameters around their own around 136 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 3: their own voice, like in some kind of voice guide 137 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 3: or something like that. I talk about that in the 138 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 3: second edition. But that doesn't mean that you have to 139 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 3: write like them, Like you're not shoving your voice into 140 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 3: those into that construct. Instead, it's about how do I 141 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 3: use my voice within that construct. So I think of 142 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 3: it as kind of like like guardrails. You know, it 143 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 3: makes sure you don't like fly off into like no 144 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 3: man's land and like crash and burn. But at the 145 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 3: same time, you know it's not meant to be restrictive either. 146 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 3: So when I think about brand voice, that's how I 147 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 3: think about it. 148 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: If you enjoyed this extract of my chat with Ann, 149 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: you might want to go and listen to the whole interview, 150 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: which you can find a link to in the show notes. 151 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 2: If you're looking for more tips to improve the way 152 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 2: that you work, I write a short fortnightly newsletter that 153 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 2: contains three cool things that I've discovered that helped me 154 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 2: work better, ranging from software and that I'm loving three 155 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 2: to interesting research findings. You can sign up for that 156 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 2: at Howiwork dot co. That's how I Work dot co. 157 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: Thank you for sharing part of your day with me. 158 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 2: By listening to How I Work. If you're keen for 159 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: more tips on how to work better, connect with me 160 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: via LinkedIn or Instagram. I'm very easy to find. Just 161 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: search for Amantha Imba. How I Work was recorded on 162 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 2: the traditional land of the Warrangery people, part of the 163 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 2: cool And Nation. I am so grateful for being able 164 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 2: to work and live on this beautiful land and I 165 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: want to pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. 166 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 2: How I Work is produced by Inventium with production support 167 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 2: from Dead Set Studios, and thank you to Martin Nimba 168 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 2: who did the audio mix and makes everything sound better 169 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 2: than it 170 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: Would have otherwise.