by Juliana Garcia
Raise your hand if this has happened to you:
You’re checking your inbox, and you see one of your subscribers has responded to the latest email you sent out.
Win!
That ping of excitement hits your belly, a smile spreads across your face, and you click it open to see if your next client is raising their hand to work with you.
Then—BAM—you’re hit with it!
Something to the effect of, “I can’t take you seriously when you can’t even get your grammar right. So unprofessional.”
All of a sudden those excitement butterflies transform into little wrecking balls in your gut. Even though this reaction is few and far between, it can still hurt and make you second guess yourself.
But let’s be honest—you don’t have time for that kind of shenanigans. Your people need you, and every second you spend second-guessing yourself, you’re not in your purpose.
So let’s debunk that myth and call out those comments for what they are—someone else’s excuse to find some reason to feel superior.
The purpose of grammar
Before we get into what makes for great messaging, it’s important to understand the role of grammar in writing.
Grammar’s entire purpose is to make our string of words easier to read and understand. Commas tell us where we would breathe in a sentence and separate out extraneous thoughts. Periods allow us to take a moment to consider what we just read. Apostrophes let us connect words for shorter contractions that represent the way we speak (like don’t and can’t) and show possession.
In short, grammar helps us to express ourselves more clearly, and creative uses of grammar can help our people to feel like they’re having a real conversation with us instead of reading a sterile piece of writing we’ve constructed. We’re not in elementary school, being graded on our essays. We’re business owners connecting with our ideal clients, and while having good grammar is an asset, misplaced punctuation and minor spelling errors shouldn’t hurt anyone.
Good messaging and what it’s made of
Solid messaging positions you as someone who truly understands the problems that your audience faces with the power to lead them to the other side of those challenges.
This kind of messaging is caring, compassionate, and confident—but it’s not necessarily relatable.
Truthfully, you don’t want your audience to relate to you. You want them to aspire to more, and if they relate to you in the here and now, why would they think that you could help them?
Instead, let your messaging show them what’s possible when they get to their next level.
When you create your messaging, hold the vision of your audience where they are with their existing problems, and then show them what’s coming when they get past it (make it clear that you’re able to support them in achieving the next goal).
These are the foundational elements that will make your messaging compelling. No grammar scrutiny included.
Juliana Garcia is a Latina online entrepreneur who has created a $2.5 million dollar business helping skilled coaches clarify their marketing message to attract premium clients.
She has pioneered a cutting-edge, client-centric approach that breaks the old-school marketing rules and focuses on selling through intimacy, integrity, strong mindset tools, and zero BS.
Juliana’s early marketing career involved working on the launch of the movie Think & Grow Rich: The Legacy, and Napoleon Hill’s work has had a strong influence on her approach. Juliana’s company is focused on helping coaches set new standards for what’s possible in the coaching industry so they can create a rich, fulfilling, and sustainable business without the burnout.
Juliana’s insights have been featured in Forbes, Addicted2Success, Women On Business, and more.
