The British musician Brian Eno makes music differently.

Getting out of the studio is critical for his creative process.

He says:

‘You’re a completely different person as a maker than you are as a listener.  A lot of people never leave the studio when they’re making something, so they’re always in that maker mode, screwdriving things in – adding, adding, adding.  

Because it seems like the right thing to be doing in that room.  But it’s when you come out that you start to hear what you like.’

(Heard via Richard Shotton’s excellent book on behavioural science, The Choice Factory)

Getting the audience perspective is so important – with music, with presentations and yes, with email.

Because then we know what we’ve actually created, written or said vs. what we think we did.

But how can we get our audience’s perspective, without constantly nagging our clients or colleagues for feedback?

How do we move from maker to listener?  How do we ‘leave the studio’?

Well, here’s a simple tip:  Use the read-aloud function on your computer. 

Hearing your writing read aloud offers a completely different perspective from us reading it to ourselves.

You’ll hear if you sound friendly or a bit passive-aggressive.  You’ll notice if sentences go on for too long. You’ll know if it feels light and easy to digest or stodgier than a Christmas pudding.

I hit the read-aloud button on every email before I hit send.  

And I use it for every important client document. Inevitably I can improve what I’ve written, based on the new insights that hearing my work has given me.  

So, give it a go.  Leave the studio.  Become the listener.  

And let me know how you get on (you know I love hearing from you).