Put the Meat Up Front

“Put the most interesting and important words at the beginning of each sentence.” Ann Handley

I read this passage in a book today and it had quite the effect on me. It was in regard to becoming a better writer but for me highlighted a much bigger issue. Qualifying things at the beginning of sentences. When I moved the important stuff up front the qualifiers sounded weird at the back so I started cutting or eliminating the qualifiers entirely. It made my writing better. I’ve done with joke writing and ad copy, so why wasn’t I doing it with my article writing or business conversations? It comes down to how it has served me in the past. Get rid of the modifiers and qualifiers for betting writing.

“Not using qualifiers signifies confidence.” Tik Tok Sensation Eliza Butler. 

I had some difficult business conversations come up which led me to getting some coaching. I put qualifiers and modifiers at the beginning of everything I say in every setting. This habit is no longer serving me. It has been a painful process to see how much I do it. I am left not knowing what to say and in hard business conversations less is more. Keep feelings out as much as possible. This is a painful process for a sensitive boy like me. This is probably why people at every job I’ve ever had lose so much faith in me. I am always talking about my mistakes and how little I know what I’m doing while qualifying everything with how I feel. A failing business does not care how you “feel.” We would all love to get huge salaries and work less hours. But that is only going to put the business in a hole. 

Jokes work better as statements. Cut out all the fluff, keep the meat. I know this. They work better because of the conviction of the performance. The sureness of the performer puts the audience at ease. Projecting to the audience they are in good hands leads to success in comedy. Perceived confidence comes from removing qualifiers like “I think” or “in my opinion.” When it’s just statements or the important stuff it hits harder. 

I am on a search for finding and understanding the “it” factor. This has always been a fascination in comedy for me. There are comics that have this “it” factor that is really hard to quantify. Establishing confidence is a huge part of the “it” factor. There are examples of where someone can make this work with qualifiers, but my focus is on mitigating risk. A broken clock is right twice a day. My search is for things that work more often. I see it as the success comes from sureness and confident performers. Cutting out qualifiers is the fastest and easiest way to do this. 

The most painful and cutting comedy advice I ever got was from Louie Anderson. Yes, the Louie Anderson. Somehow our lives crossed paths and he would have me send him my comedy clips so he could give me advice. He would always say I needed to have confidence in my jokes. “You never own what you're saying up there Bjorn.” (I can still hear his iconic voice saying this.) I would always deliver them with the tone of “please accept me.” This can work, but not as often as a comedian needs it to. It has taken me a long time to really figure out what he meant. It’s all the qualifiers I was putting in and the lack of conviction with what I was saying. 

Cutting the qualifiers is not a blanket rule. Some relationships need qualifiers. Friendships are better with all those in there. Let people know how you are feeling and thinking. That is really important in a relationship, so there is a place for it. I have and keep friends because of this quality. I create a safe space for people around me. When you are too blunt or to the point with friends they think you know it all. So I show some humility in this area.

I want to be a better writer, businessman, and joker. I need to put the meat up front. I don’t need to have a meat forward meal for every meal. I just need to know when and where to cut. Putting the important stuff up front is a lot of fun and elevates my writing so I think I’m going to keep doing it. 

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Thank you for reading, you’re doing great.

Bjorn RG.