Most companies speak like dead robots. Lulu Cheng Meservey makes them human. At Substack, she was the face of the fight between old media and new, and now she's rethinking the corporate communications playbook for the Twitter age. Here's what she taught me about writing: 1. Cut the cringe by speaking your writing out loud. The insincere bits will just sound wrong. 2. Find the “weight-bearing pillars” of your work. What is important to you? What is important to your audience? This is the foundation you build on. 3. People inherently don’t trust corporations. The only way to build trust is to be honest and exude personality. 4. Not tit for tat but tit for two tats: Wait for people to cross the line twice and then respond. In nuclear parlance, you need “second strike capability.” Whether you’re a person or a company, people should know you’re not harmless but thoughtfully aggressive. 5. Find your 12 disciples: These are the true fans who buy hook, line, and sinker into your core mission. Jesus knew this. He could’ve had 12,000 disciples of lukewarm loyalty but he went for 12 true believers. 6. Cut the three paragraphs of “throat-clearing.” This is the writing equivalent of the long intro at a lecture that nobody likes, but everybody puts up with. Delete it. Get to the point. 7. The ancient Greeks would debate everything twice-once drunk, once sober. If it makes sense both times, well... go for it??? 8. Twitter is an underrated word processor. The character limit makes you avoid the fluff, which is faster than cutting it out later. So if your writing is verbose, ditch the Google Doc and write in Twitter instead. 9. Good stories have three important elements: A protagonist you can root for, forward momentum, and high stakes. 10. Our mental receptors are not in the shape of facts, talking points, or statistics. They are in the shape of stories. 11. The story of Christianity cannot be beat. It goes like this: Things were supposed to be a certain way, something went horribly wrong and now we're worse-off. But there's a solution! In order to achieve it, you have to do something which brings you back to how things are supposed to be. If you want to level-up your writing, check out my free 50 days of writing email series. You'll learn a step-by-step method for improving your writing, building an online audience, and breathing fire into your writing: dperell.com/50-days-of-writing

@zeeshansayed6012

8 ай бұрын

@DavidPerellChannel - Why is Substack appearing as CK in subtitles?

Ive watched this whole thing. Lulu is amazing and whoever has worked with her is so incredibly lucky. Thank you for uploading this, there's so many golden nuggets!

this was an incredible conversation. crazy that it only has 5k views. ty to you both.

amazing podcast. I need like 6 episodes in succession. I can't stop

Thanks KZread for introducing me to these two writers

Lulu is incredibly insightful!

Lulu far exceeds what one would expect from a public relations professional. There’s just so many incredible insights to be gleaned from this interview.

These discussions are everything. 😊❤😊

Lulu is terrific

Holy smokes! Not near perfect, but Cheng is standing up to the soulless corpo-world. WOW~~! This gives so much hope knowing that minds like hers are imbedded deep in those places.!

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:17 *🗣️ Corporate speak exists for risk minimization, often sacrificing personality and opportunities.* 01:40 *📝 To avoid corporate speak in writing, read it out loud to sense authenticity and improve cadence.* 02:35 *📄 Writing statements for corporations should be prepared in advance, focusing on known pillars and details filled in as needed.* 03:29 *📑 Establishing clear authority and processes in advance helps streamline decision-making during high-stakes situations.* 04:47 *😊 Effective writing aims to evoke one or two dominant emotions, fostering trust and connection.* 05:41 *🏢 Companies should reflect the personality and values of their customer base to foster affinity and trust.* 07:31 *🤖 Corporate speak can feel soulless and robotic, hindering genuine communication and connection.* 09:25 *⚖️ Establishing boundaries and responding strategically to unfairness can shape behavior and build trust over time.* 11:11 *🧠 Balancing emotional resonance with a sober state is crucial in effective writing and communication.* 13:38 *🔀 Strategies from insurgency studies, like grassroots outreach and clear messaging, can inform corporate communication and marketing.* 16:53 *🎯 Choosing between mass appeal and deep resonance depends on the message and desired outcome, requiring a strategic approach to distribution and engagement.* 19:59 *📜 Slogans, when repeated and easy to remember, gain outsized meaning and mark tribal identity.* 21:18 *🧠 Communications can leverage behavioral psychology benignly by framing offers effectively, impacting decisions and perceptions.* 23:35 *🛍️ Framing offers influences decisions and perceptions, crucial in marketing to make content appealing and memorable.* 24:29 *💡 Crafting messages to fit cultural "erogenous zones" or bridging them enhances receptivity and understanding.* 26:16 *📚 Creating bridges between unrelated topics can engage audiences, sparking interest in adjacent subjects.* 27:37 *🌙 Writing while drowsy allows for freer thinking, capturing ideas that can be evaluated later for coherence and relevance.* 29:57 *📝 Editing helps refine ideas, ensuring clarity and coherence in conveying arguments.* 34:37 *🐦 Utilizing Twitter effectively can influence perceptions and engagement, providing a platform to defend ideas and positions effectively.* 36:58 *📝 When writing for a broad audience, avoid jargon and assume no prior knowledge.* 37:26 *📝 Brands should use simple language and clear messaging, avoiding distractions in their writing.* 38:22 *📝 Strive for clarity over style in writing, aiming to be intelligible rather than overly clever.* 39:18 *📝 Twitter's character limit serves as a useful mechanism for refining and shortening writing, promoting crispness.* 41:08 *📝 Prioritize quality over quantity in audience growth, aiming for deeply passionate followers over sheer numbers.* 41:59 *📝 Consistency, clear proposition, and niche focus are crucial for growing an email list effectively.* 42:54 *📝 Developing a unique perspective, style, or topic can enhance writing success, even in saturated spaces.* 44:47 *📝 Diverse reading, including non-communication materials, can inspire new ideas and perspectives for writers.* 48:20 *📝 Encourage risk-taking in writing to foster growth, avoiding a stagnant comfort zone.* 52:51 *📝 Balancing between professional and personal modes of communication helps maintain authenticity in writing.* 55:03 *📚 Different lenses, such as engineering, design, or literary, offer varied perspectives on writing.* 55:30 *🎬 Literary storytelling skills enhance the ability to create compelling characters and narratives.* 55:55 *📖 Storytelling involves creating stakes, making people root for or fear outcomes, and instilling a desire for a specific result.* 57:19 *📊 Accusations presented as stories often resonate more than statistical defenses in persuasion.* 58:41 *🖋️ Framing in communication and negotiation determines the perspective from which issues are viewed, influencing outcomes.* 59:09 *📢 Effective communication requires clarity about business objectives, target audience, and compelling messaging.* 01:00:32 *🎯 Messaging should focus on addressing audience needs and interests rather than solely promoting one's passion or interests.* 01:01:25 *🌐 Distribution strategies should align with the audience's preferences and online presence, utilizing various platforms effectively.* 01:05:08 *🤝 Identity and community play significant roles in fostering evangelism and shaping perceptions of products or ideas.* 01:08:46 *⚠️ Focusing on technology over the benefits it provides can hinder effective communication and adoption.* Made with HARPA AI

❤

She nailed it on crypto, focus on how exactly it improves the customer's life

I think you need my help to design your thumbnail 😀😀 because I am thumbnail designer 🙂🙂

I am not sure about these podcasts. Have watched all 5 now but I guess most of it sounds like casual conversation between 2 people. Writing part is mostly missing. It’s very tangential. Definitely, not exploring the “How to write “. It’s a bit of drag. It’s much more fun to read David than these long form podcasts..

@compuserveuser2779

8 ай бұрын

I'm 40+ years old in year three of a major college. I wish I had known her approach up to this point. It's not too late though. This helps immensely.

Thanks for the interview! So interesting to hear your story @davidperell

David you always outdo yourself with your guest selections absolutely amazing! 💚