Bio
Dave Harland (The Word Man) builds his practice on a single conviction: the brands that stand out are the ones that sound like nobody else. In a market where most B2B copy is interchangeable, distinctive voice is not a luxury. It is the primary conversion mechanism. AI cannot replicate a specific person's voice, which makes authentic voice the ultimate anti-AI signal.
Operating themes
- Operating thesis: Standing out requires sounding like nobody else. Write like YOU speak, not how people generally speak. Your quirks are your competitive advantage. People don't want to know how proud you are of your company. They want to know how you'll change their life.
- Conversion Web Copywriting
- Brand Voice
- Content Quality Standards
Cards
- Voice quirks aren't bugs — they're the only thing AI cannot replicate — Voice quirks aren't bugs — they're the only thing AI cannot replicate [Tier B]
- People don't want to know how proud you are — they want to know how you'll change their life — People don't want to know how proud you are — they want to know how you'll change their life [Tier A]
- Humor in copy is only valuable if removing it weakens the persuasive argument — decoration distracts; functional humor reframes — Humor in copy is only valuable if removing it weakens the persuasive argument [Tier A]
- Once per section, one sentence should scream — and the quiet sentences are what make the scream possible — Once per section, one sentence should scream — the quiet sentences are what make the scream possible [Tier A]
- Ideas need to simmer — walking away from a draft and returning later is necessary for critical editing, not optional — Ideas need to simmer — the second look always finds what the first missed [Tier B]
Sources captured
_None archived in codex yet — original ingest archived externally._