“If you treat an individual… as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Born Aug. 28, 1749. Here’s an easy trick that many persuaders and influencers overlook. Our kind of communication is very audience-focused. We […]
Let’s Presume You Are Already Good At Persuasion… Read More »
“A creator needs only one enthusiast to justify him.” – Man Ray, Born Aug. 27, 1890. You can start with a very small audience. But if you don’t have one, you’re not justified in spending too much time creating anything. Not if you want to create work people will connect with. Note – I’m obviously
How To Be Worth The Attention You Will Need To Succeed Read More »
“The minute you make people laugh, you get them to listen.” – Merrie Spaeth, Born Aug. 23, 1943. Aside from sharing an enemy, sharing a laugh is the quickest way I know to create rapport with a stranger. And it doesn’t have to be a belly laugh. It could be anything as simple as a
How to Clown on Fools for Fun and Profit Read More »
“I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, ‘Count Basie. Beware, the Count is Here.’” – William James “Count” Basie, Born Aug. 21, 1904. When you’ve got the goods… And you’re here to give the goods to
Warn The World of Your Awesomeness – BEWARE! Read More »
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” – H. P. Lovecraft, Born Aug. 20, 1890. There’s a cognitive bias all humans have called “the Ambiguity Effect”. Fancy science says: It describes our tendency to avoid choosing options for which missing
How To Create Fear and Use It To Guide People’s Choices Read More »
“The past speaks to us in a thousand voices, warning and comforting, animating and stirring to action.” – Felix Adler, Born Aug. 13, 1851. All decisions are made in the present moment. And we are deciding our future. But if you can make a decision feel like a culmination of the mistakes and lessons of
Warping Time to Persuade People With Ghostly Voices From the Past Read More »
“We see that every external motion, act, gesture, whether voluntary or mechanical, organic or mental, is produced and preceded by internal feeling or emotion, will or volition, and thought or mind.” – Helena Blavatsky, Born Aug. 12, 1831. In the field of copywriting, there are a ton of tactics that are meant to help sellers
Sell By Making the Prospect Emotionally Hungry, Then Offering a Feast to Satisfy Them Read More »
“When someone comes along and expresses him or herself as freely as they think, people flock to it. They enjoy it.” – Joe Rogan, Born Aug. 11, 1967. If you want to gather attention around yourself in a given arena or industry or market or field, find the popular thoughts and beliefs that are unpopular
What To Say To Get People To Like You (By Getting Others To Hate You) Read More »
“Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason.” – James Randi, Born Aug. 7, 1928. Let’s twist this one around a little. Let’s say that if you can get someone to believe in your claims – not by reason, but by emotion and gut feeling – then no amount of reason can talk
Selling From the Seesaw of Logic And Emotion, Reason and Belief Read More »
“A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren’t so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction?” – Wes Craven, Born Aug. 2, 1939. You know what
What Makes You “Strange” Also Makes You Powerful Read More »
