“When I was a young comic just starting out, I was very cautious, as I didn’t want to alienate people. George Carlin’s bravery became a benchmark. I became perfectly fine with alienating some people in the audience. That just comes with the territory.” – Paul Provenza, Born Jul. 31, 1957. So you want to […]
Do Not Fear to ACTIVELY Repel People Who Won’t Like You Anyway Read More »
“There is sublime thieving in all giving. Someone gives us all he has and we are his.” – Eric Hoffer, Born Jul. 25, 1902. Cialdini called this the “Law of Reciprocity”, triggered when you do a favor for someone unbidden. They then feel a strong obligation to return the favor. We don’t like being forced
How to Obligate *Willing* Reciprocity in Potential Prospects Read More »
“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” – Karl A. Menninger, Born Jul. 22, 1893. Wouldn’t it be nice if we, as writers could listen to our
On Creating the Illusion of Two-Way Conversation, and Why It’s Valuable Read More »
“No matter what I do, it somehow comes out right – even if it was a mistake!” – Mario Montez, Born Jul. 20, 1935. Consider what you’re doing – your work, your career – as one long, unfolding story. It’s not a series of projects and goals, but an overall plot arc.
We Don’t Make “Mistakes” – We Have “Plot Developments” Read More »
“I always just forced myself to do crazy things in public. In college I would push an overhead projector across campus with my pants just low enough to show my butt. Then my friend would incite the crowd to be like, ‘Look at that idiot!’ That’s how I got over being shy.” – Will Ferrell,
Is Fear of Embarrassment Holding You Back? (Yes It Is!) Read More »
“I don’t look at a man who’s expert in one area as a specialist. I look at him as a rookie in ten other areas.” – Conor McGregor, Born Jul. 14, 1988. Specialization is KEY in getting attention for your “brand” in a crowded market. For some subset and segment of a given market, you
Specialization Can Get Your Foot In The Door – But OVER-Specialization is a Trap Read More »
“Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.” – Elwyn Brooks White, Born Jul. 11, 1899. The modern influencer is an engineer of prejudice. Common parlance gives the word “prejudice” a negative connotation, as though all pre-judgments are inaccurate. But it doesn’t have to be so. Providing
When Prejudice Becomes A GOOD And Valuable Thing To Sell Others Read More »
“I am not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations, nor do I feel that the world must live up to mine.” – Fritz Perls, Born Jul. 8, 1893. Sorry, Fritz. I have to disagree, at least in part, only because I don’t feel an obligation to be equitable. I am with
We Are All In It To Change The World… Or At Least Part Of It Read More »
“The reason kids like rock ‘n roll is their parents don’t.” – Mitch Miller, Born Jul. 4, 1911. In people’s minds, there are always some people they find detestable – People so alien and “other” that anything and everything about those perceived enemies is to be resisted. Mitch’s example are teenagers who only like noisy
The Fastest Route to “Us” Is a Well-Defined “Them” Read More »
“A good conversationalist is not one who remembers what was said, but says what someone wants to remember.” – John Mason Brown, Born Jul. 3, 1900. To become influential, it’s a good idea to create material for people to copy from you and claim for themselves. That might seem counter-intuitive. After all, isn’t it important
A Secret For Manufacturing Your Influence Over Others… Read More »
