How to Batten Down The Hatches as The Robots Arrive

The robots are coming here! The robots are coming here!

Sound the alarm!

Batten down the hatches! (Whatever that means)

Unless you’ve been in a cave, you’ve probably heard the news…

There’s a new artificial intelligence copywriter in town called ChatGPT, and it’s got a bunch of people in a tizzy. 

On a popular message board for copywriters, one Doomsdayer declared: ChatGPT is terrifying; there’s no escaping it.” 

A New York Times columnist called it “ominously good at answering… open-ended analytical questions.” 

And an article in the Harvard Business Review said, “It has the potential to take over certain roles traditionally held by humans, such as copywriting, answering customer service inquiries, writing news reports, and creating legal documents.”

That’s what economists, futurists, and other eggheads call DISRUPTIVE.

And I think it’s great! 

No. I don’t have a death wish.

No, I don’t secretly desire to give up content creation and become a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker (although those seem like lovely, AI-proof professions). 

I think it’s great because all of us who create entertaining, captivating, story-powered, HUMAN content will…

…stand above
those who flock to
the AI-powered mushy middle. 

Speaking of entertaining, captivating, story-powered, human content, I sent an email yesterday about a training I’m hosting on Thursday re: year-end-planning (event details here).

To promote the event, I shared a story about the bad-old-days when I created a year-ahead plan with a 19-item priority list. That list turned me into a frenzied, bumbling mess. 

(In case you missed it, you can read that story here.)

After sending that email, I thought, “I wonder how the robot would promote this event?” 

So I logged into ChatGPT and instructed the robot to “Write an article that promotes a webinar for year-end planning.” 

Ten seconds later, the robot gave me this: 

Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to tackle your year-end planning? Look no further! Join us for a webinar on the topic of year-end planning, and learn how to set yourself up for success in the coming year.

During this webinar, we will cover a range of topics, including setting clear goals, creating a plan to achieve those goals, and staying focused and on track. We will also discuss the importance of being flexible and adaptable, as well as the benefits of taking time to reflect on the past year and learn from your experiences.

Our expert panel of speakers will share their insights and expertise on these topics, and will be available to answer any questions you may have. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and get your year-end planning off to a great start.

The webinar will take place on [date and time], and is completely free to attend. Sign up now to reserve your spot and learn how to make the most of your year-end planning. We look forward to seeing you there!

Yes, a robot wrote that. In 10 seconds.

Pretty cool, huh!? It’s not great, but it’s better than lots of the emails, posts, and other content I see out there.

And that’s VERY SCARY…

…if you typically dish out the same old boring, “blah blah blah” copy. 

If you’re yet another business person who dishes out information-only content…

Be afraid! Be very afraid! 

Because the robots are dishing out content that’s just as good — if not better. And they’re dishing it out faster. 

Sure, you can hop-aboard the robotic train and join the mushy-middle. You’ll dish out more-of-the-same QUICKLY. 

But where will that get you?

You’ll be yet another voice in the crowd, hoping that someone will notice your more-of-the-same needle in a haystack of more-of-the-same. 

How will you stand out? 

By creating entertaining content that is uniquely YOU. When you read my emails, posts, and other content, you get ME. You get my voice. You get my sense of humor. My personality shines through.

The robots are clever. But they’re not me. And they can’t pretend to be me — at least not yet. 

Yes, robots will eventually be able to mimic my voice — or yours. 

But you can’t train a robot to mimic your voice until you establish your voice — until you learn how to create captivating content that is uniquely you. 

I can help you do that. See the p.s. below for options. 

One last thing… 

The suspense was killing me. So I asked ChatGPT to “Please define ‘batten down the hatches’ and then share five tips on how to do so efficiently.” 

The robot replied:

The phrase “batten down the hatches” is a nautical term that refers to securing a ship’s hatches or openings to prepare for a storm or other adverse weather conditions. The idea is to prevent water from entering the ship and damaging the cargo or sinking the vessel.

Here are five tips for battening down the hatches efficiently:

1. Start early: Don’t wait until the last minute to begin preparing for a storm. Begin securing the ship’s hatches and other openings as soon as possible to give yourself plenty of time to do a thorough job.

2. Use the right materials: Make sure you have the appropriate materials on hand to properly secure the hatches, such as sturdy ropes or straps, strong padlocks, and waterproof tarpaulins or covers.

3. Work as a team: Battening down the hatches is a team effort, so make sure everyone on board knows their role and works together to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

4. Check and double-check: Once you have secured the hatches, take the time to carefully inspect your work to ensure that everything is secure and properly in place.

5. Be prepared for the worst: Even if you do everything right, there is still a chance that a storm could damage your ship. Make sure you have a plan in place in case something goes wrong, such as a backup generator, emergency supplies, and a well-rehearsed evacuation plan.

 like that “be prepared” part.

Great advice for hatch-battening. Great advice for content creators. 

Are you prepared to stand out as the robots arrive? 

Reach out to me if you want to batten down the hatches.