I like to think of writing business development articles as serving broccoli to family and friends for dinner.
I like to serve broccoli steamed. It’s my preferred method to eat it because it was suggested that I eat more for my health and it is the simplest way to prepare.
But I get that others enjoy or at least tolerate broccoli, but don’t just want plain steamed broccoli. It is a little dull, even if it is one of the healthiest ways to consume.
So sometimes I serve broccoli roasted. Sometimes I serve it sautéed in a little oil and butter. Occasionally, I just serve raw broccoli, because a lot of people prefer to eat it that way, even if I am not a big fan.
My daughter wants cheese on her broccoli. If there is broccoli on her plate, her first question is always can she get some cheese (the second question is always how much broccoli does she have to eat). She’ll eat some of her broccoli every time it is served if it is served with cheese. Even if it just a slice of American cheese sitting on top of raw broccoli.
And awesome as cheese is, and it is on broccoli, it takes away from the health benefits of eating broccoli. Because if not for the health benefits, you might as well eat French fries.
This is how I see my business development articles. I like plain, straightforward material that doesn’t try to be too clever or cute. But many people who you would not expect to read business development articles will if they are a little clever or cute, so I will play up various aspects for the crowd.
But the cheese analogy, that where it gets hard. This analogy takes the ‘nutritional’ value out of the articles, so I don’t like to serve them up this way very often. I am not above trying to have fun with a concept, but in the end, I want to reach people who are serious about growing their business, not just content at playing business.