How to Kill the “Good Guy” in Your Writing

Hello everyone!

I have made this dreaded mistake in my writing for a long time.

But here is the trick.

I didn’t even realize I was making this mistake until they told me my writing was getting creepy and manipulative…like a good guy.

Oh.

It’s not something anyone wants to hear, especially copywriters and content-driven companies.

Which brings me to my point.

This is a mistake that many content-driven businesses, email-driven businesses, and copywriters make and don’t even realize.

The dreaded good guy mistake.

Let’s do it…

Write in passive voice.

Think of this about the “nice guy”,

When you’re being “nice” to someone, you’re not being yourself. You are being a manipulative little weasel because you want something from the other person. And those who receive their kind gestures notice it, feel it and fear it.

When you’re that “nice guy,” you finish last.

And guess what? Your readers can see that “nice guy” in your writing. And that kind of writing is called writing in the passive voice.

But that is not all…

Writing in the passive voice also causes problems like…

…turning your writing into a mosh pit of clutter.

Your ideas get lost, you don’t speak with a direct voice, and you lose all your power in your writing, which weakens your call to action.

So how can you fix this, “passive voice”. issue?

First…

What is a “passive voice”?

In a passive sentence, the subject acts on the verb. You never want to write in the passive voice. All your content, emails and copies must be in a direct voice.

What is a “Direct Voice”? (Also known as Active)

Direct voice is when the subject performs the action of the verb.

And this is where you want your writing to be.

Look at these examples and guess which one is active and which one is passive.

… Demetrius ate all six shrimp for dinner.

… The six shrimps were eaten by Demetrio.

Can you guess which one is passive and which one is active?

The top sentence is the active one and the second sentence is the passive one.

Here are some more examples…

…Click the link right now to get your fast and deep skin cleansing formula and say goodbye to acne FOREVER.

… If you want to buy the fast and deep skin cleansing formula to treat your acne, click on the link.

You see the difference? Do you see how having a passive voice in your writing can make you sound like a manipulative sociopath and kill your response, content, and sales letter?

But that is not all…

… You can not forget the details about what you write (or say) You have to be clear and specific because your message is lost.

Here is an example of Hillary Clinton accepting the presidential nomination.

First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us that our children are watching and that the president we elect will also be their president.

And for those of you who are just getting to know Tim Kaine, you will soon understand why the people of Virginia continue to promote him: from Councilmember and Mayor, to Governor and now Senator.

You will make the whole country proud as our Vice President.

And… I want to thank Bernie Sanders.

Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who gave their hearts and souls to our primary.

It has put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong.

And to all his followers here and across the country:

I want you to know that I heard you.

Your cause is our cause.

Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion.

Now let’s look at an excerpt from Trump.

When I see roads and bridges crumbling, or airports in ruins, or factories moving to Mexico or other countries, I know all of these problems can be fixed, but not by Hillary Clinton, just by me.

The fact is, we can come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever: jobs, jobs, jobs!

Everywhere I look, I see the possibilities of what our country could be. But we can’t solve any of these problems by trusting the politicians who created them.

We can never fix a rigged system with the same people who rigged it in the first place.

The insiders wrote the rules of the game to stay in power and in money.

You see the difference?

When you read Trump’s speech, he goes into specific detail about what he’s going to do and why he’s running for president. Clinton’s speech is more vague and confused. Due to his lack of clarity in his messages, his platform was confusing as hell.

How do I fix my passive problem?

To fix this problem, you need to be more specific and detailed when you write copy or write your emails. Be clear about your message. If you have an editor, use it! Give him your copy, content, or email and have him check off the passive sentences.

Use Microsoft Word. When you use the spell checker, the program also looks for passive sentences.

Second, be aware that you are writing in the passive voice. Learn to recognize passive sentences in everything you read. You will begin to notice that the world is full of people who write and speak in a passive voice (even the mainstream media!)

When you become aware of passive writing, you will instantly know when passive sentences are in your writing.

Another thing you can do is recognize the subject in all your sentences. Rewrite the sentence and have the subject do the action of the verb.

Always keep your audience in mind when writing. Remember that you write to them and not to yourself.

Until then, stay hungry

demetrius r.