It’s a shopworn cliché, I know.
There’s no I in team.
If we look a little closer, though, it gets more interesting.
Because there is a “me” — and that fits to a T.
I know, I know. It’s all about the client, the customer, the reader, the user.
That’s true, too.
After all, they’re the star players.
But you’re never going to get to know your audience or learn how to connect with them if you tune yourself out.
Because in order to write effectively, you have to listen outward.
And you can’t do that if you’re not present yourself.
I mean, try it.
Try being empathetic without drawing on your own experience.
Try writing in someone else’s voice without asking yourself the same questions you’re asking them.
People connect with people being people.
And that includes us: the content writers, copywriters, UX designers, accessibility experts, and others working tirelessly to say it — and write it — in just the right way.
Yes, ultimately, it’s about that one person you’re trying to reach.
But to get there, to truly meet them where they’re at, you’ve got to be you first.
