Would you like to write a blog or start interacting more on Facebook?
Do you struggle with what to say and how to say it?
Do you worry that you’ll use the wrong words or the wrong grammar?
Well, I don’t worry about those things! I just go for it. I talk from my heart. I say what’s on my mind, and I say it exactly like I’m talking to you. I’ve always been that way. Whether it is letter writing, blog writing, or posting things on my Facebook page, I say it like I am talking to you in person. When I write newsletters, I feel like it’s more relatable, as if we were chatting.
I was called out once on poor grammar, and here’s how the story goes:
I met with a client (hopefully, by now, you know I do interior painting and decorating for clients). I measured the rooms we were going to be painting in. We figured out the treatments we were going to do and the colors we were going to do them in.
I went home and figured up her prices, typed up an estimate, explained some of the process of what we would be doing, and included a little thank you for inviting me into her home.
We got the job and it was wonderful!! Actually, they did much more than what we originally discussed. At one point, my client said “We got the biggest kick out of your estimate! Your grammar was hysterical! We kept it so we could read it again someday.”
I am who I am, and I guess it is what it is. She did however, totally ruin my day and make me paranoid every single time I write a quote. And that was 18 years ago. I’ve never forgotten it. And I never quit writing estimates the way I do. I still break everything down- room for room, for every single customer, and explain the process. Hopefully, not everybody is finding it funny when I don’t really intend it to be funny. But if they do, they haven’t said anything to me, and I’m glad.
The reason I’m telling you all this is to emphasize that you have to be who you are, and if other people find it funny, then that’s ok. I’m glad I put a laugh in their heart. I can’t stop being who I am. I’m 56 years old- I don’t think things are going to be changing anytime soon. I think if you’re too formal and stuffy-improper, you might make people uncomfortable. And if you take too long to write it, trying to make it perfect, you won’t do it as often, and you need to blog often!
I write my blogs as if I’m talking to you. I write everything as if I’m talking to that person. Is there a more professional way to do it? Of course. Is there a much worse way to do it? Of course. As long as I fall in the middle somewhere, I’m perfectly fine with that.
So if you’re trying to write a letter to a friend or an estimate to a client, just write it. Be yourself, let the words flow, and it’s almost like journaling- you feel better. Someone might call you out on it someday, but you know what? In 23 years of painting, and writing several estimates a week, no one has ever called me out on bad grammar since. And you know what else? I tend to think people are more concerned with my math skills than my writing ability! And for that, I have a calculator! 😉
The moral of my little story is this- if you’ve ever been inclined to write a blog but you feel like you can’t, just pretend you’re writing to me. Tell me what’s on your mind, tell me what you’re thinking, tell me what you’re dreaming of, tell me what you did today, I would love to hear. Like two friends chatting over coffee!
There are so many blog topics. If you’re writing a personal blog, just think about what happens to you every day. You’ll find so many things to write about in your own life. That’s real, that’s raw, that’s what people can relate to, and that’s what you should write about every chance you get.
Tami loves…when a person is true to themselves, despite what others may think.
