You’ve seen the photos. Ten people in suits, standing in a line, shaking hands in a sterile conference room. The caption usually reads something like: “Great meeting today with X, Y, and Z to discuss our strategic synergy.”
Sorry, but…nobody cares.
Just because someone shows up somewhere, it doesn’t mean it’s worthy of your audience’s precious time. Our own newsletter data shows that the newsletters that get the highest engagement aren’t the ones listing facts or names. They are the ones that spark an emotion.
If you can’t make them feel something (a smirk, a sigh, or a tiny “Ah!” of surprise) then you haven’t actually said anything at all.
The “diamond” method
The next time you are in a high-level meeting, put down the official agenda for a second.
And instead:
- Watch the faces: forget the handshake. Look for the smirk, the collective nod, or the moment the room actually goes quiet.
- Hunt the quote: listen for the sentence that shifted the energy. That is your “diamond.”
- The “body” test: AI can summarize your meeting minutes, but it can’t translate a life experience into a physical reaction in your reader’s body.
The tip:
Start your post with that one quote you picked up and describe how the room changed when it was said. Contextualize the project through that emotion. You can tuck the list of important names at the very bottom.
Emotions stay in the body long after a name in a room is forgotten.
Don’t just give your audience data. Give them a memory.
A reason to watch you closer next time.
