Being conversational.

Among the many things that I do to annoy my children, apparently I have this bad habit of "going all businessy" on them when I talk about something work- related. They claim I use a different voice and everything. (I think I inherited this trait from my mother. She could go right from screaming at the four of us to answering the phone with her all smiles “how are you darling?’” voice. We would all crack up. We also hoped the phone would ring whenever we got in trouble.)

My habit is probably the result of trying to appear more professional (and less redneck) when I am talking with other professionals. After all, I spent years learning how to write a professional business document, I studied the proper formatting for a business letter, and I agonized over the best way to give a professional presentation.  Haven’t we all been  taught to avoid first person and to talk about that mysterious “one” in our conversations. So rather than saying “ You need to be more conversational.” We would write “One needs to strive for a more conversational tone in his written communications.” Now, doesn’t that last sentence just make you feel all warm and fuzzy?   

Well, the times have changed. Now our mission is to try to form connections and that means we need to be more conversational in the way we communicate. With the advent of short and sweet communication tools like Twitter, the pressure is on to reflect more personality and less marketing / business speak in everything we write.

It’s not easy to erase years of programming. But if you are writing a blog, you have to be conversational. It’s hard for most first time bloggers. They want to write the same way they would write a professional letter or a brochure. But it has to be different. A blog is a place to show your humanness.

Here’s what I do differently when I’m having a conversation (unless I’m talking to my kids about my business):

1.       I refer to “you” and “me” (or “y’all” if I’m in the mood)

2.       I use contractions – I do not say “do not”, I say “don’t”

3.       I use little words – big ones are too hard to say

4.       I use shorter sentences, with a simple structure – big long sentences don’t allow room to breathe

5.       I use colorful details – not generalities