Focus on positive words instead of negative ones in copywriting. You’ll get so much more out of your audience when you do so. For example, the text below is taken from an emailer I recently received from a cultural institution in the Netherlands. It begins with the word ‘not’ which is quite a negative way to start. The text could also (potentially) play on the insecurities of those who don’t speak Dutch (“whether you do or don’t speak Dutch is not an issue with these performances”) and can be misconstrued. So writing this without drawing attention to an individual’s possible cultural/linguistic differences (i.e. in a more positive light) can generate a more positive feeling within the reader. In that way, they may feel more included and not ‘othered’ or sidelined and hence may be more interested in your product/service.
“Not all of our plays are for Dutch speaking people only. In this e-mail, only performances that are English spoken, non-spoken or have English surtitles. In short: whether you do or don’t speak Dutch is not an issue with these performances.”
