Don’t Give Them What They Want
Many moons ago, Wasbund (i.e. my ex-husband) and I were in the middle of a home renovation.
Apart from the crucial tasks, like installing a new roof, I became borderline obsessed with replacing our kitchen window with a greenhouse-style one as an extra feature.
I believed with every fiber of my being that this design change would infuse our basement-level kitchen with the much-needed atmosphere it lacked, and there was nothing anyone could do or say to dissuade me. Jesus (who we all know was a carpenter) could have shown up and told me that greenhouse windows were a sin, and I’d disagree with him.
I had a vision, and that vision included a greenhouse window. Thank you very much, and have a great day.
Enter my contractor, Aidan, who had the dubious honor of telling me that a greenhouse window probably wasn’t a good idea.
“Jude, I know you have your heart set on the greenhouse window, but I have to tell you, they’ve fallen out of favor because they aren’t made as well anymore and tend to be drafty and leaky.”
Friends, I am here to tell you that pettiness is my spiritual gift. I wanted to hold firm on a greenhouse window out of pure spite (and because I strongly suspected that Wasbund simply didn’t want to pay for this added feature).
Yet, I opened my mind to the possibility that my contractor knew better than me what constituted a good product.
And by “opened my mind,” I mean “I closed my eyes and began deep-breathing exercises in lieu of emitting a primal scream.”
As I struggled to be The Zen Wife, Aidan uttered a magical phrase that I’ve never forgotten.
“I think you are looking for more light in this room.”
That simple yet profound insight struck a chord, or to keep with this theme, allowed the heavens to open. He was spot on. I DID want more light in the room. I was simply mistaken about how to achieve it.
We reached a compromise, opting to expand the existing window instead.
Lo and behold, it worked like a charm! The bright, sunny atmosphere I craved literally came to light, and my love of my kitchen was reignited (at least for a few years).
Now why am I regaling you with this tale of two windows? Because there’s an important lesson to be had here, and yes, I am about to reveal it, so hold on tight.
Aidan didn’t give me what I wanted. He gave me what I needed.
I’ve been thinking about the want vs. need distinction a lot over the past few weeks as I’ve had to have a similar “greenhouse window” conversation with clients.
Often, customers approach a writing project with a specific idea or request in mind. The latest trend, for instance, is that clients are asking for SEO-style blog writing.
SEO-optimized blog writing isn’t anything new, but based on the conversations I’m having, it appears to have had a resurgence of sorts as something business owners “should” be doing.
Can I do it for them? Yes.
Will I do it? That all depends on how they answer the question, “Why SEO, and why now?”
Most of the time, I hear something along the lines of, “Well, I read this article about it, and it sounds like a good idea.”
To which I respond, “What are some of the ideas that you have that you wish your clients knew about?”
As they say in the movies (or wherever this quote comes from), “Unleash the Kraken,” because that’s when the floodgates open.
Clients often can’t stop talking at this point because they are (often) what I like to call Verbal Visionaries, business owners who:
hate to write but love to talk
know the value of content marketing and want to harness its power.
What these folks need is to be heard, and the best way I serve them is to collaborate as their scribe and
ask a lot of questions
listen with presence and without interruption
turn their words into content that speaks to their audience in their voice.
Building content around their ideas rather than retrofitting their thoughts into a series of keywords is more aligned for them. And incidentally, the content we create together not only brings solid website traffic, but can be repurposed in newsletters and social media posts as well.
So yes, there is a gift in getting what you want, but a greater one in getting what you need.
As the year draws to a close, it's the perfect time to envision the possibilities of 2024. It's like standing at a window, contemplating the future. If you're considering how to express your business's vision and goals through captivating content next year, let's talk. Reach out to discuss your content writing needs for 2024—I'm here to help shine a light on what you need, which is ultimately what you want.
P.S. Incidentally, one of my favorite words in the English language is “defenestration,” which refers to the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.
Maybe that word more accurately depicts how you feel about 2024 content, in which case, you should definitely consider booking a Discovery Call with me. I’ll talk you off the ledge (pun intended, and you know you love it!), and we’ll figure out what your wants and needs are and get your content in motion for the year ahead.