“I think those who object to my characterizing man as simple want somehow to retain a deep mystery at his core.” – Herbert A. Simon, Born Jun. 15, 1916. You are a chimpanzee in shoes. Your “self” is a hallucination being had by a computer made of meat. Civilization is a byproduct of […]
Chimpanzees In Shoes: Or Why This Job Is So Easy… Read More »
“Gossip is essentially storytelling: storytelling about people whom we know.” – Mona Simpson, Born Jun. 14, 1957. I think gossip – as a tone – is an under-appreciated angle when it comes to persuasion and influence. *leans in to closer* Listen… Gossip isn’t just a story about people we know – it can be the
Turn Your Pitch Into Gossip, and People Lean in Closely Read More »
“I jokingly call this convergence of games into reality the ‘Gamepocalypse:’ the moment when every moment of life is actually a game.” – Jesse Schell, Born Jun. 13, 1970. Did you know that you can already do this now? Basically you can gamify your own life. It makes a lot of the dull bits of
The Gamepocalypse Already Happened and It’s All a Game Now Read More »
“I call myself a teacher because they want me to call myself a teacher, but actually, what I’m doing is I’m studying.” – Chick Corea, Born Jun. 12, 1941. Back in Renaissance times, artists and musicians used to strive to get patronage. That’s when some rich dude basically pays you to do nothing but pursue
Be a Renaissance Person and Find Your Patrons Read More »
“Expressions of solemn testimony have long been important to the children of God upon the earth.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin, Born Jun. 11, 1917. I’m going to pretend this quote is about the use of testimonials in advertising. So many marketers misunderstand the PURPOSE of testimonials, and therefore, they MISUSE them. You don’t
Why Testimony is Better Than Any Copy Anyone Can Write Read More »
“If you want people to listen, you have to have a platform to speak from, and that is excellence in what you do.” – William Pollard, Born Jun. 10, 1828. This is going to be a good one for the would-be mass influencers among you. You know what an endorsement is, right? It’s when you
Hack Your Way to Simple Celebrity (And Cash In) Read More »
“If language did not affect behavior, it could have no meaning.” – Kenneth L. Pike, Born Jun. 9, 1912. There are a buncha idiots out there who frown upon the use of language for deliberate persuasive aim. You know them. They hate commercials. They think marketing is evil. They probably brag about not owning a
Any Message That Isn’t Deliberately Persuasive Is Wasted Read More »
“Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for the deep psychological need they fill.” – Nicky Oppenheimer, Born Jun. 8, 1945. The former chairman of DeBeers says diamonds are worthless. Yet go to a jeweler and see what this worthless item sells for. Certainly not at a price that reflects the worth. Why the markup? Solely due
Connect the Offer With the Deepest Felt Need Read More »
“I don’t ever try to make a song better than my last song. I just try to make it different from my last one.” – Fetty Wap, Born Jun. 7, 1990. This one hit me like a ton of bricks, y’all. Or like a ton of feathers. Heavy either way. You’re probably pretty talented. You’re
Being “Different” is Better (And Easier) Than Struggling to Be “Original” Read More »
“The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things.” – William Inge, Born Jun. 6, 1860. I’d be willing to say ALL value is perception based, and is therefore relative. And perception of value is based on RELATIVE comparisons rather than any objective absolutes. For example, something that costs $50 might seem
Proper Pricing is All Relative – Position Properly, Please Read More »
