People often ask me where I get my ideas from for future articles. After penning over 2500 articles, I too find myself scratching my head at times. The answer, however, is quite simple. I live my life while paying attention to my surroundings. Life itself is a constant saga (article) unfolding as the days, weeks, months and years expeditiously fly by.
Strangely enough, today’s reminder comes to you via the Clark Gym’s Sauna Box in Cooperstown, NY. I recently found myself chatting with a man who entered the “box” before the topic of high school students soon became the topic of discussion. As I soon learned, he was a former guidance counselor and I shared with him the fact that I had written a book targeting recent graduates. That is when today’s lesson came into focus.
It came as no surprise to me to hear that the acceptance rate into any particular college or university compared to applications was extremely low. That is when he asked me what I thought was the key element of an application that was accepted. I offered my opinion, which he acknowledged as a good response but was wrong. The answer was “The Essay.”
He then said something that once again caught my attention as I wiped a continuous bead of sweat off my chin and out of my eyes. In reading a wanna-be student’s essay he counts the number of “I’s” salted throughout the piece. He said that little clue alone provided enough input to categorize a student from the rest of the pack. (Very interesting.)
I found it interesting since one of the chapters in my high school tips booklet addresses this exact shortcoming. I urge them to lose the I’s and use more “you’s.” The same holds true with your business writing and proposals.
People are not as interested in you as they are in themselves. Therefore, stop highlighting what you have accomplished and inform your audience what you can do for them.
It is funny how good advice for a teen is just as valid and pertinent for us older people.
Start checking your writing to see how you can change things around by losing the “I’s and introducing more you’s.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
