On Wednesday this week, I had a realisation…
“TEYCSTW” stands for “Three emails you can send this week”, right?
But…
It could also stand for “TWO emails you could send this week”!
Or…
“THE email you can send this week”.
That’s right, folks – prepare to lower your expectations should I ever be pushed for time…
Don’t worry – no need to lower them this week, as I’ve had a burst of productivity and met my full quota.
Enjoy!
1. SHOPPING
Most of the prompts and ideas I’ve given you thus far have pretty much spelt out what you need to write about.
This one may stretch you a little.
Don’t panic.
I’ve been watching you for some time and the contents of your recycle bin last week tell me that you’re ready for this…
I want you to find a link between what you do and shopping.
No, not chopping… SHOPPING!
Yes, shopping.
It can be any kind of shopping – clothes, the Thursday big shop, or browsing online stores for a new paperclip.
Find a link between shopping and what you do and write about it in your email.
Shopping gives you a lot of potential topics to play with:
- Price
- Brand
- Do you spend time choosing or just grab things as quickly as possible?
- Why do you shop where you shop?
- Why DON’T you shop somewhere else?
- How do you feel about shopping?
Talking about shopping is like a Weight Watchers “after” photo where someone poses in their fat pants…
… there’s a LOT of wiggle room.
Sit down and have a think…
How does shopping relate to what you do and the benefits you offer?
Write about that.
2. Your first time
You remember the first time, right?
No, not the all-to-quick fumble you had with Gareth “Gazster” Henshaw in the back of his Dad’s Mazda.
(I took a bit of a punt with that. If I got lucky, do let me know)
I’m talking about the first time you charged money for what you do.
The first time you, when asked “how much do you charge?”, shyly muttered a price…
… like you were 12 years old again, asking Ruth Pagglesthwaite, of Edenfield Comprehensive if she liked you.
(Yep. Another long shot.)
Tell your readers about your first customer:
- How much did you charge?
- How did it feel, knowing someone was paying you?
- How did you prepare?
- What were you not prepared for?
- Was it a success?
- What did it teach you?
- If you had a chance to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Social media is filled with success stories and highlights reels.
Telling the occasional “less than glorious” story and getting real with your people is a great way of standing out from the “Look at me! Aren’t I fabulous!” crowd.
3. Piggyback!
Sitting down and facing the blank screen is not fun.
That’s why I write to you every week with these prompts, after all – to make things a little easier.
The truth is though, you don’t constantly have to come up with new and original ideas.
Turns out that other people have had great thoughts too.
Time to piggyback onto some of those.
Write an email about a quote/lesson you learned from your favourite guru/expert/thought leader…
… and then expand on it.
Share how you’ve put it to work in your own life.
It doesn’t have to be a “rags to riches” transformation.
In fact, it probably SHOULDN’T be.
Just pick something that’s made a difference in your life and write about that.
- What was the advice?
- Who said it?
- Where were you when you heard it?
- What made it resonate with you?
- How have you put it to work?
For example, one of the best books I’ve bought over the past two years has been “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
More than anything else, the book highlighted to me the power of ti…
… hang on, I should be saving this shiz for MY email… FOR YOU!
Do me a favour… forget I said anything, would you?
So, have a think about the advice that’s impacted you most…
… and write about it.
That’s your three for this week.
Speak tomorrow,
John