There’s a saying in French that goes: se prendre pour le nombril du monde. While it truly means to think one is God’s gift to mankind, it would literally translate as acting like the world’s bellybutton.

You’ve certainly met with people like that. I remember a girl I once studied with: a brilliant, committed, straight-A student – and pretty good-looking too. But it feels like she’d start every single sentence with “Me, I…”. “Me, I think the green looks prettier.” “Me, I think this font would be nicer”.

Too many websites and company brochures are written with “Me, I” in mind. Clichés like “the North American leader” and “our established company counts on specialized experts with over 40 year experience” pack a lot less punch that you’d think.

You won’t win clients over with a lengthy monologue about yourself. It’s better to show how you’re listening, how you’re interested, how you understand their needs and how you’re the company best positioned to answer them. There’s a reason why “YOU” is considered a top power word in advertising – it comes right after “FREE”.

Persuasive copywriting stays away from self-centered copy

When writing, the client should always be your focus. “YOU” and “YOUR” establish a dialogue between you and your client. A quick way of checking if copy is sufficiently client-focused is to highlight all words like “YOU” and “YOUR” in red, and all “WE” and “OUR” in green. If there’s a lot of red and little green, it doesn’t look good. Give it a try: even this article follows that principle!

So, what about you? Is your copy about your clients, or about your bellybutton?