P30 – Day 6: The Worm of How
A good voice isn’t so important. It’s more important to sound really unique. ~Stephen Malkmus
Now that you know what your product’s going to be, it’s time to start thinking about the HOW. How it’s going to look, how it’s going to sound, and how it’s going to help.
With a ton of information products out there on just about every conceivable topic (ranging from the stellar to the truly awful, in most cases), there’s going to be one thing that sets your product apart from everybody else out there:
You.
It’s important, then, when you’re getting ready to start writing, that you have a good handle on not just the subject matter, but HOW you’re going to present that subject matter in your own, unique way.
How it will best reflect the awesomeness that is You, along with who and how it’s going to help your customers.
Chances are, if you’re like most online businesses, you already have a blog.
If you do, you may have already found your unique voice. (If it reads like you’re speaking directly to the reader out loud — you’ve found it.)
If you don’t, think about your potential customers — if you met in an informal setting, would you speak to them in a professional tone? More of a casual, one-on-one, friendly tone? Somewhere in between?
In addition to your writing voice, the other thing that will set you apart from your competition is finding an angle for your information that nobody else has covered. Something to make your product completely one of a kind.
You may have heard of a Unique Selling Proposition (or USP) before. It’s a short explanation of what makes your particular thing or service stand out from the rest of the pack, and you’ll need to know, heading into your writing next week, what it is for your product.
With just a little attention focused on those two things (voice and USP), you can march into the creation phase knowing that your product is going to rock.
ACTION TASK:
It’s a two-parter today.
1. Imagine your ideal customer is sitting next to you over dinner somewhere, and s/he’s asking you questions about the very topic you’re planning to cover. Speaking out loud, answer one of those questions. If you have access to recording software or a tape recorder, record your answer. If not, just listen to yourself, or maybe recruit a friend to listen to you.
Next, write down that same answer. Read it out loud when you’ve done it. (It doesn’t need to be an involved question — just a paragraph or so.) Does your written answer sound similar to your spoken answer? If you have a friend helping, have your friend look at what you’ve written, and see if it ‘sounds’ the same as the way you spoke it.
Play with this a little, until you feel comfortable writing and speaking in the same way.
2. The second part of today is quicker, and a little easier. Write down your Unique Selling Proposition. What is it that’s going to make your product different from everything else that’s out there? Is it subject matter? Is it the way you focus on that subject? Is it new information or a new procedure that no one else has?
Really put your finger on it, and figure out what it is that’s going to make the masses clamor to have your product over everyone else’s. Put it at the top of your outline for easy access later, so you can refer to it if you get stuck while writing next week.
TOMORROW:
We’ve covered the what and the how, and tomorrow, we’re going to get serious….we’re going to make a schedule and address the WHEN. It all gets real from here, so work on that USP and determining your voice, and get the fingers ready to take some action.
Tim and Elli
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