The Power of Templates

What do you do when you have to send a scary email? When you have to deliver bad news, or deny someone? What do you do when you have to ask for something big? Like a once in a year kind of favor from a coworker? 

You have two options. You could sweat over exactly the right words to say, tailoring every word to the recipient, hoping your lack of confidence doesn’t show through the cracks. 

Or you could use a template. 

The magic of templates is that they help you communicate clearly, with conviction, even if you feel foggy and unconvinced. 

When I drove the support van for a cross-country charity bike trip called Ride For Water, my job was to find free accommodation for my team of five sweaty riders from Seattle to New York City. Some days I felt great–I could call anyone and convince them of what a great idea it was to host six sweaty 21-year olds on their floor that night. Other days, I didn’t feel so great. I dreaded calling people. I felt like no one would pick up the phone. I felt like I was selling a live hornets nest. 

Our trip took us 50 days. But we never had a night without a host and we didn’t spend a dime on a hotel. How? I had a great template. 

I said the same thing on every call, no matter if I felt good or bad. The information came across clearly, the confidence translated, and people hosted us. In the end, we connected with truly wonderful people, all across the country, and experienced American hospitality at its purest, and finest. It was a summer I’ll never forget. And I imagine the people who hosted us won’t forget us either. 

Here’s my quick tip for templates: Think of the top five scary emails you’ve had to send, and the top five sales emails you’ve sent. Copy and paste these over to an accessible note. The next time you have to send a scary email, just reference your note.

A confident version of yourself has already solved this problem you’re facing. Trust that version of yourself again.