Distinctive Matters
My friend, Scott McKain, wrote a marvelous book a few years ago, titled The Collapse of Distinction. One core message of the book is what Scott calls “The Ebert Effect.”
“When people, from their perspective are inundated with indistinguishable choices, they perceive a product, service, approach, or experience with a specific point of differentiation to be superior.”
My take on that for writers is that if your writing is distinctive, people will perceive you as superior. They will want to read more of your writing. They will want to hire you for speeches or consulting. They will recommend you to their friends.
So, how do you make your writing distinctive? Here are three ways.
Tell your own stories.
Your life is unique. Your experience is unique. So make note of stories as you think of them. Then, use those stories in your posts and articles and books and speeches.
Tell relevant stories that other writers and speakers aren’t telling.
Most writers and speakers use the same examples. That’s easy and safe. Stand out from the crowd by telling business stories others aren’t telling.
Do original research.
You don’t need to have a PhD or deep knowledge of statistical methods to do research that matters to your readers. Take a survey. Analyze the literature on a topic and identify the major themes. Do some experiments.
You’re distinctive, so it should be easy.
You’re distinctive. No one else has your life, your experiences, or your knowledge. Use them to make your writing distinctive.