“Secrecy sets barriers between men, but at the same time offers the seductive temptation to break through the barriers by gossip or confession.” – Georg Simmel, Born Mar. 1, 1858. Secrets are power. Sharing secrets can weaken you and allow others to damage you. Generosity with plans and innovations can lead to disastrous competition. Even […]
The Real Secret About Why People Love Fake “Secrets” Read More »
“Give me a laundry-list and I’ll set it to music.” – Gioachino Rossini, Born Feb. 29, 1792. I hate hearing people say they have nothing to write about or nothing to say. Take a thing. Any thing you find. Scroll way down your news feed. Click “random” on Wikipedia. Then, connect it to your core
Pumping Up Reader Brains With Metaphorical Muscle Read More »
“Gifts make slaves.” – Levi Strauss, Born Feb. 26, 1829. Cialdini stated this in a less harsh way. He calls it the Law of Reciprocity. When you receive a distinct item of value from someone else, you are compelled to grant them something in return. We feel that we owe them. That we are indebted
How to Mentally Enslave People With One Stupid Trick – It’s Irresistible! Lol, Sorta. Read More »
“The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom.” – Arthur Schopenhauer, Born Feb. 22, 1788. It may seem like a shitty thing, to sit around plotting ways to make people unhappy with their current existence. But that is what we do for a living. We don’t describe products and services. That’s ditch work.
“A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.” -Charles M. Schwab, Born Feb. 18, 1862. An offer that is for everyone excites no one. Product, service, or persona – it’s all the same. If you try to please everyone, you can only please each of them a little, and therefore,
“When a magician lets you notice something on your own, his lie becomes impenetrable.” – Raymond Teller, Born Feb, 14, 1948. A lot of people think persuasive writing is about what you say to people. Your words push their buttons and they act. But a lot of times, it’s what you DON’T come right out
Lie Like a Magician, and Make the Audience Work the Magic For You Read More »
“I’d rather have ten people who are mad for it than ten thousand who aren’t.” – Peter Hook, Born Feb. 13, 1956. Who wants a lukewarm audience? Who wants readers with only a tepid interest in your topic? Who wants fair weather followers who can take you or leave you? Not this here coonass. I
Don’t Cater to the Casuals – Feed the Fiends Instead Read More »
“Public opinion is a compound of folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy, and newspaper paragraphs.” – Robert Peel, Born Feb. 5, 1778. Some other famous advertising writer guy once said that persuading people was about entering into the conversation happening inside their own mind. But you don’t need to be a mind-reader to
Guess What People Are Thinking, and They’ll Mistske You For Their Own Mind. Read More »
“If you have a secret, people will sit a little bit closer.” – Rob Corddry, Born Feb.4, 1971. This is a simple power. But it’s strong. Instant. Easy. Irresistible. However, I won’t explain it to you. So don’t ask. I can’t. I’m not allowed to. Don’t beg. It’s unbecoming. It’s a secret – A powerful
I’ll Never Ever Tell How This Trick is Done Read More »
“Curiosity is as much the parent of attention, as attention is of memory.” – Richard Whately, Born Feb. 1, 1787. This is the formula. You want people to remember you after they consume your messaging. Unless they stick around to consume more, or buy something to take home, you want to linger in their consciousness.
Capture Attention, Embed Memories, Make Money. How? Curiosity! Read More »
