We’ve all been taught the grammar, the rules, the dogmas.

But let’s be honest, do we remember them?

Do we even apply them?

Try and write like you would a novel, on your website.

Chances are you won’t do much selling at all.

That’s because conversational writing is what “real” everyday people mentally engage with the most.

There’s a time for stories and richly crafted narratives – and yes stories do sell – but not when 100% of your copy is stories and convoluted words.

Instead, think about writing sales copy this way:

Writing is using words to transfer your thought to someone else’s head.

And you only use 2 pieces for that:

• Picture words
• Connecting words

It’s a model that comes from Eugene Schwartz and his book “The brilliance breakthrough”.

Picture words are any words that contain an image. These can show us actions, feelings, size, color, judgements, sounds and more.

Connecting words are all the little, almost invisible parts that we use to piece together our picture words. They arrange them in space and time, they give the reader a direction and anticipate incoming deviations on the path.

Example, “Before writing this newsletter I workout”.

Before, this and I are the connecting words. They tell you the time, they tell you my goal and who I’m talking about.

Writing and workout are the picture words. You can literally see these actions as you read.

Simple, yet we overcomplicate this when writing on our sites.

Most importantly, once you reduce your thinking on writing to this model, try and use it in the simplest and most concise way possible. Keep it focused.

One sentence = one image conveyed.

This is pretty much all you need to keep in mind when approaching the blank page.

It’s what I always come back to when I create, edit and revise.

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