#non-negotiable

Talk to them, not at them

Jacinta Bolsenbroek, Diector of Communication

⏱ 6min read

We are taught to sound polished, authoritative and impressive. We fill sentences with formal language, abstract nouns and carefully approved phrases.

Broadcasting is not the same as conversation

A broadcast tells people what to know.

A conversation helps people feel understood.

That difference matters because our brains process the two experiences differently. A broadcast can feel like information being delivered from a distance. It asks us to pay attention, absorb the message and decide whether it is relevant.

A conversation creates a different kind of attention. It gives us a sense that someone is speaking with us, not simply at us. It invites recognition, response and trust.

Think about the difference between these two sentences:

We provide innovative, end-to-end solutions for businesses seeking to optimise operational efficiency.

And:

Running a business is complicated enough. We help you take the busywork off your plate.

The first sounds like a brochure. The second sounds like a person who understands.

Neither is necessarily wrong, but they create very different relationships with the reader. One describes a service from the organisation’s point of view. The other starts with the reader’s experience.

That is the shift from broadcasting to talking.

Most businesses are still stuck in the “broadcast era”

Many businesses have moved their content online without changing the way they write it.

Now you think about it, they have websites that read like leaflets.

Social posts that sound like press releases. Emails that feel like announcements. Blogs that explain what the company does without ever acknowledging what the reader might be thinking, feeling or trying to solve.

The medium has changed, but the mindset has not.

This is partly because business writing has inherited a particular idea of professionalism. We are taught to sound polished, authoritative and impressive. We fill sentences with formal language, abstract nouns and carefully approved phrases.

The result is often technically correct but emotionally empty.

It says:

Our team is committed to delivering exceptional customer service.

Instead of:

If you need an answer, you’ll get one from a real person.

It says:

We offer a comprehensive range of bespoke services.

Instead of:

Tell us what’s not working and we’ll help you fix it.

The broadcast version focuses on the organisation. The conversational version focuses on the relationship.

Talking to people does not mean being casual all the time

Conversational writing is not about adding slang, exclamation marks, emojis or forced friendliness. It is not about pretending your business is something it is not.

It is about making the reader feel that there is a human there behind the words.

That means using language people actually use. It means choosing clarity over ceremony. It means writing with a specific person in mind rather than addressing an imaginary crowd called “the customer”.

You can still be professional. You can still be serious. You can still write about complex subjects.

The difference is that you make the complexity easier to enter.

Instead of saying:

“Our methodology facilitates the strategic alignment of cross-functional stakeholders.”

You might say:

“We help your teams agree on what needs to happen next.”

The second sentence is not less intelligent. It is more generous. It does not make the reader work through unnecessary language before they reach the point.

Start with what they care about

Broadcast writing often begins with the business.

“We are delighted to announce…”

“We are a leading provider of…”

“Our services include…”

Conversation begins somewhere else.

It begins with the person reading. What are they trying to do? What is getting in the way? What question have they brought with them? What might they be worried about?

That does not mean every piece of content needs to be dramatic or deeply personal. It simply means the reader should be able to recognise themselves in it.

A good test is to ask:

What does this person already know?
What do they need to understand?
What might they be sceptical about?
What would make this useful to them?
What would they say about this problem in their own words?

Those questions move your writing away from broadcasting your message and towards creating a meaningful exchange.

Write as if someone in front of you

One of the easiest ways to make your writing more conversational is to stop imagining an audience.

Imagine one person instead.

Not a vague target market. Not a demographic profile. A real person with a real situation. Someone who has landed on your website because they need help, reassurance, information or a reason to choose you.

Then write to them.

Use “you” when it is natural. Use “we” when it helps establish responsibility. Ask questions they might be asking themselves.

Anticipate objections. Explain things without making them feel foolish for not knowing.

This creates a sense of directness. The reader is no longer standing in a crowd while your business speaks from a stage. They are part of the exchange.

Conversation builds trust

People do not trust businesses simply because they use the right words. They trust businesses that seem clear about what they do, honest about what they cannot promise and interested in the person on the other side.

Conversational writing helps create that impression because it leaves room for nuance. It can acknowledge that a problem is difficult. It can explain what happens next. It can sound confident without pretending to have every answer.

That is especially important when people are making a considered decision. They do not want to be shouted at by a brand. They want to feel that the brand understands their situation and can help them navigate it.

The best marketing does not feel like a performance. It feels like a useful conversation that happens to lead somewhere.

Make space for a response

A broadcast ends when the message has been delivered.

A conversation leaves the door open.

That might mean inviting someone to reply to an email, ask a question, share their experience or book a call. It might simply mean writing in a way that encourages them to keep reading and think, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with.”

Your content does not need to turn every reader into an immediate lead. But it should give them somewhere to go next.

What do you want them to understand? What do you want them to feel? What action would be useful rather than pushy?

When you know the answer, your writing becomes more purposeful.

Talk to them, not at them

This is a non-negotiable for Blether.

It is not a trend, it is a more accurate reflection of how people experience communication now.

Your audience is not passively waiting for your message. They are comparing, questioning, scrolling, replying and deciding what deserves their attention.

If your writing still sounds like it belongs on a poster, it may struggle to connect in a conversational world.

So make the language clearer. Start with their experience. Use words that sound like real speech. Explain rather than announce.
Invite rather than instruct.

Most importantly, remember that your audience is made up of people, not impressions, clicks or demographics.

Talk to them like people.

Because when your marketing sounds like a conversation, it becomes easier to trust, easier to understand and much
harder to ignore.

We should talk.

Talk to them, not at them

We are taught to sound polished, authoritative and impressive. We fill sentences with formal language, abstract nouns and carefully approved phrases.

Broadcasting is not the same as conversation

A broadcast tells people what to know.

A conversation helps people feel understood.

That difference matters because our brains process the two experiences differently. A broadcast can feel like information being delivered from a distance. It asks us to pay attention, absorb the message and decide whether it is relevant.

A conversation creates a different kind of attention. It gives us a sense that someone is speaking with us, not simply at us. It invites recognition, response and trust.

Think about the difference between these two sentences:

We provide innovative, end-to-end solutions for businesses seeking to optimise operational efficiency.

And:

Running a business is complicated enough. We help you take the busywork off your plate.

The first sounds like a brochure. The second sounds like a person who understands.

Neither is necessarily wrong, but they create very different relationships with the reader. One describes a service from the organisation’s point of view. The other starts with the reader’s experience.

That is the shift from broadcasting to talking.

Most businesses are still stuck in the “broadcast era”

Many businesses have moved their content online without changing the way they write it.

Now you think about it, they have websites that read like leaflets. Social posts that sound like press releases. Emails that feel like announcements. Blogs that explain what the company does without ever acknowledging what the reader might be thinking, feeling or trying to solve.

The medium has changed, but the mindset has not.

This is partly because business writing has inherited a particular idea of professionalism. We are taught to sound polished, authoritative and impressive. We fill sentences with formal language, abstract nouns and carefully approved phrases.

The result is often technically correct but emotionally empty.

It says:

Our team is committed to delivering exceptional customer service.

Instead of:

If you need an answer, you’ll get one from a real person.

It says:

We offer a comprehensive range of bespoke services.

Instead of:

Tell us what’s not working and we’ll help you fix it.

The broadcast version focuses on the organisation. The conversational version focuses on the relationship.

Talking to people does not mean being casual all the time

Conversational writing is not about adding slang, exclamation marks, emojis or forced friendliness. It is not about pretending your business is something it is not.

It is about making the reader feel that there is a human there behind the words.

That means using language people actually use. It means choosing clarity over ceremony. It means writing with a specific person in mind rather than addressing an imaginary crowd called “the customer”.

You can still be professional. You can still be serious. You can still write about complex subjects.

The difference is that you make the complexity easier to enter.

Instead of saying:

“Our methodology facilitates the strategic alignment of cross-functional stakeholders.”

You might say:

“We help your teams agree on what needs to happen next.”

The second sentence is not less intelligent. It is more generous. It does not make the reader work through unnecessary language before they reach the point.

Start with what they care about

Broadcast writing often begins with the business.

“We are delighted to announce…”

“We are a leading provider of…”

“Our services include…”

Conversation begins somewhere else.

It begins with the person reading. What are they trying to do? What is getting in the way? What question have they brought with them? What might they be worried about?

That does not mean every piece of content needs to be dramatic or deeply personal. It simply means the reader should be able to recognise themselves in it.

A good test is to ask:

What does this person already know?

What do they need to understand?

What might they be sceptical about?

What would make this useful to them?

What would they say about this problem in their own words?

Those questions move your writing away from broadcasting your message and towards creating a meaningful exchange.

Write as if someone in front of you

One of the easiest ways to make your writing more conversational is to stop imagining an audience.

Imagine one person instead.

Not a vague target market. Not a demographic profile. A real person with a real situation. Someone who has landed on your website because they need help, reassurance, information or a reason to choose you.

Then write to them.

Use “you” when it is natural. Use “we” when it helps establish responsibility. Ask questions they might be asking themselves. Anticipate objections. Explain things without making them feel foolish for not knowing.

This creates a sense of directness. The reader is no longer standing in a crowd while your business speaks from a stage. They are part of the exchange.

Conversation builds trust

People do not trust businesses simply because they use the right words. They trust businesses that seem clear about what they do, honest about what they cannot promise and interested in the person on the other side.

Conversational writing helps create that impression because it leaves room for nuance. It can acknowledge that a problem is difficult. It can explain what happens next. It can sound confident without pretending to have every answer.

That is especially important when people are making a considered decision. They do not want to be shouted at by a brand. They want to feel that the brand understands their situation and can help them navigate it.

The best marketing does not feel like a performance. It feels like a useful conversation that happens to lead somewhere.

Make space for a response

A broadcast ends when the message has been delivered.

A conversation leaves the door open.

That might mean inviting someone to reply to an email, ask a question, share their experience or book a call. It might simply mean writing in a way that encourages them to keep reading and think, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with.”

Your content does not need to turn every reader into an immediate lead. But it should give them somewhere to go next.

What do you want them to understand? What do you want them to feel? What action would be useful rather than pushy?

When you know the answer, your writing becomes more purposeful.

Talk to them, not at them

This is a non-negotiable for Blether.

It is not a trend, it is a more accurate reflection of how people experience communication now.

Your audience is not passively waiting for your message. They are comparing, questioning, scrolling, replying and deciding what deserves their attention.

If your writing still sounds like it belongs on a poster, it may struggle to connect in a conversational world.

So make the language clearer. Start with their experience. Use words that sound like real speech. Explain rather than announce. Invite rather than instruct.

Now you think about it, they have websites that read like leaflets.

Social posts that sound like press releases. Emails that feel like announcements. Blogs that explain what the company does without ever acknowledging what the reader might be thinking, feeling or trying to solve.

Use “you” when it is natural. Use “we” when it helps establish responsibility. Ask questions they might be asking themselves.

Anticipate objections. Explain things without making them feel foolish for not knowing.

So make the language clearer. Start with their experience. Use words that sound like real speech. Explain rather than announce.
Invite rather than instruct.

Because when your marketing sounds like a conversation, it becomes easier to trust, easier to understand and much
harder to ignore.