Some messages just stick. Not because they’re perfectly crafted but because they sound like something people would actually, you know, say.
Others, no matter how carefully worded, never seem to land. Not because they’re unclear but because they feel forced. Unnatural. Like who even speaks like that?
Here’s the thing:
You don’t find the right words by thinking harder. You find them by listening better.
Because the words that resonate aren’t so much yours as theirs.
An example:
Imagine you’re trying to get people to use a new budgeting app.
You could say:
- “It optimizes financial planning.”
- “It gives you more control over your expenses.”
Sounds good, right? Logical. Clear.
But then you listen.
And you hear people saying:
“I just want to stop feeling guilty every time I check my bank account.”
That’s it. That’s the message.
Not because you crafted it, but because you found it.
It’s an immensely powerful transformation. You don’t convince them of your angle. You tap into their angle.
Take any idea that spread, any powerful message, or even a great movement.
It likely wasn’t forced into existence with slick phrasing. It was mostly discovered in the way people already think, feel, and speak.
So, if you want words that resonate,
stop asking: “How do I say this?”
Start listening: “How do they already say it?”
Ever heard a phrase that perfectly captured something you were struggling to explain?
