I have more than 25 years of experience helping people share information and ideas, and I keep learning the same lesson over and over:

No matter what industry, product, or service you support, at the end of the day, you’re writing for people - specifically, the one person reading or hearing your message at any moment.

It feels cliche to talk about authentic communication, so I won’t. But at the core, the only way you, your brand, your products and services, and your support teams stand out is by making your customers feel seen and heard in a way that no one else does.

Creating a personal connection means that you make each and every person feel like an audience of one. It doesn’t matter if you’re sending a text message, speaking on a stage, or writing an email for millions of customers, if you don’t fulfill their emotional, informational, and action needs in that moment, you missed the mark.

In a world where your peers are using AI slop to mimic professional communication, being real, imperfect, and authentic is what stands out every time.