Fix your writing and sell better. Part 2: Don’t be a lawyer at the bar table.

Imagine, by some miracle, you’ve found a bit of time for yourself. You sit comfortably in your chair, and pofff, the magic is shattered in two seconds.

Your woman is storming around, furious because it’s a full moon. The energetic kids are bouncing above you like they’re in a jungle gym.

The cat scratched and pee on your heel, and the dog drank your beer.

Enough!

You decide to go for a walk—it doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s far from here.

Two minutes outside, and you get caught in a downpour. It’s practically raining frogs.

The weather is just perfect... for a bar.

You turn down a side street and head straight for one. You open the door, and it’s like walking into a mannequin warehouse.

Stiff as a funeral or a courtroom. What’s going on here? A lawyers’ convention? 

The BAR Test: How to Fix Your Writing So People Actually Read It

One of these people starts giving a speech on contract law. His voice drones on about torts and liability clauses. The bartender is nodding politely, but no one’s listening.

Now, picture this man trying to give you business advice. You can feel your eyelids getting heavy just thinking about it, right?

And yet… this is how so many people write their copy.

It's stiff. It's robotic. And worse, it's not relatable.

Well, we’ve got a simple test to fix that: The BAR Test. 

What Is The BAR Test?

The BAR Test is a no-nonsense, can’t-fail tool for better writing. It’s not new, not fancy, but it’s undefeated. You know why? Because it’s based on how real people talk.

Here’s the deal: when you’re writing, ask yourself one question:

Would I actually say this to someone in a real conversation?

Sounds too easy, but trust me, it works.

Let’s look at an example. Here's an actual sentence I saw in an article:

“As a business owner, your job is to solve problems. This is the basic principle of running a business that most owners already know, but what happens when no one knows you even exist?”

Wow. Riveting stuff, right? Makes you want to put on a suit, grab a clipboard, and sit through a 3-hour seminar.

Now let’s apply the BAR Test. What would that sound like in a casual conversation?

“Most business owners know they solve problems for a living. But how are you going to do that if nobody even knows you exist?”

See the difference? The first version sounds like our stiff lawyer friend. The second one? That’s how you’d talk to someone at a bar—or anywhere, really. It’s natural, human, and it keeps people listening.

Why Does the BAR Test Work?

Because nobody talks like a textbook. When you’re writing like you’re giving a lecture, you’re instantly making it harder for people to connect. In real conversation, there’s a rhythm. Short sentences, long sentences, pauses—your words breathe.

Good writing does the same thing.

Look at this sentence I stumbled upon recently:

“But, most of the people running businesses nowadays barely even think about what problem their product is even solving, let alone whether or not their most likely buyer is male or female, what their age range is, what their interests are, or even what haircut they have.”

That’s 47 words. Try saying that in one breath. I’ll wait.

It’s a mess. When people talk, they don’t ramble like that. They take breaks. They switch up the tempo.

In conversation, it would sound more like this:

“A lot of business owners don’t even think about what problem their product solves. Forget about whether their customer is a man or a woman, how old they are, or even what kind of haircut they’ve got.”

Easy to read. Easy to say.

The Easiest Trick to Improve Your Writing Right Now

Here’s a tip you can use starting today: read your copy out loud.

If you trip over your own words or run out of breath halfway through a sentence, congratulations—you’ve just found something to fix.

If it doesn’t sound like something you’d say to a friend, fix it.

Like this article. I’m not writing to impress a professor—I’m talking to you. And that’s how your writing should feel to your reader.

Make Your Words Work For You

Listen, the reason you’re writing in the first place is because you want to connect. Whether it’s to sell, teach, or inspire, people need to feel like they’re talking to a real person, not reading a corporate manual.

So, start applying the BAR Test. Talk like a human. Let your words breathe. You’ll be amazed at how much more engaging your writing becomes, and how many more people will stick around to read it.

P.S. If you’re tired of your writing sounding like a stiff advocate giving a bar lecture, I’ve got a solution. I’ll personally help you rewrite your copy using the BAR Test (and other handy tools). No jargon, no sales tricks—just real talk to help you improve. Want to chat? Get in touch, and let’s make your business sound as good on paper as it does in your head.