Josh Braun Writing Principles

The 5 Principles

1. Write with an eraser - Remove every unnecessary word
2. Be cheeky - Personality matters, make them smile
3. Be specific - Credibility comes through precision
4. Don't say "we reduce costs" - Say "e-commerce companies doing $5k/month overpaying 10-15%"
5. Use loss aversion - Frame around what they're losing, not gaining

---

Personalization Best Practices

DO:

• Custom prompts based on research
• Facts prospects consistently care about
• Time business was founded (owners proud of longevity)
• Recent company news/changes
• Tech stack signals

DON'T:

• Generic AI compliments ("Love your work!")
• Content that sounds same as what they already have
• Over-personalization that feels creepy
• Complimenting LinkedIn posts without substance

---

Key Takeaways

• Specificity = Credibility: "47% increase" beats "significant improvement"
• Loss > Gain: People act more to avoid loss than to gain
• Every word must earn its place: If it doesn't add value, delete it
• Personality differentiates: Be human, not corporate

---

Combines with

Skill	Why
email-writing-frameworks	Apply principles to any framework
personalization-hooks	Create hooks that don't feel generic
sdr-outbound-rules	Quality checklist alignment
cold-email-templates-34	Review templates against principles

Example prompts

Review this email using Josh Braun's 5 principles and suggest improvements.

Rewrite this email to be more specific and use loss aversion.

Make this email "cheeky" without being unprofessional.