“I always aspire to that, where it feels like the film was made by the characters as opposed to the filmmakers. I try to be invisible.” – Spike Jonze, Born Oct. 22, 1969. When you create marketing messages for clients, it should be this way, too. You’re creating a message from the client to their […]
“It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play.” – John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, Born Oct. 21, 1917. In persuasion, saying too much is a mistake. You need to say exactly enough, and no more. You want the mark’s memory and imagination and desire to do all the heavy lifting. Because their
Salesmen Know What Copywriters Don’t: When to Shut Up Read More »
“People just need to be confident in their own skin and be proud of themselves.” – Bristol Palin, Born Oct. 18, 1990. Yeah. That’s right. Malign the source if you must. But wisdom is found in the interpretation… And the fact is, this is every single person that buys any old thing, hoping that thing
The True Face Beneath Every Person’s Public Mask Read More »
“In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope.” – Charles Revson, Born Oct. 11, 1906. This is something to remember for all you would-be copywriters out there. The product is the product. It has features and aspects and components. Even a digital product has a page count or a domain name
This One Word Describes The Only Thing Worth “Selling” (No Matter What Your Product Is…) Read More »
“There is no decision that we can make that doesn’t come with some sort of balance or sacrifice.” – Simon Sinek, Born Oct. 9, 1973. You can play with this well known fact about making decisions. Everyone knows that a decision is ultimately a choice – between a thing you pick, and a thing you
Focus On What The Buyer Will Sacrifice (Besides Money) Read More »
“Everybody’s like everybody else, and everybody’s different from everybody else.” – Harvey Pekar, Born Oct. 8, 1939. As a professional person expert, I can tell you that the second part of that quote is what people believe is true about themselves. “I am unique. I am special. I am different. I stand apart.” And note,
Every Snowflake In the Blizzard Feels Unique and Special Read More »
“The average voter has to hear a point seven times before it registers.” – Paul Weyrich, Born Oct. 7, 1942. Repetition is key. Repetition is key. If you want your message to be received… Repetition. Is. Key. Here is the rub. The trick to making this work is that you can’t just say the same
Say it. Then say it again differently. And yet again, but not the same, and Etc… Read More »
“We’re living in primate heaven. We’re warm, dry, we’re not hungry, we don’t have fleas and ticks and infections. So why are we so miserable?” – Steven Pinker, Born Sep. 18, 1954. Why not, Steve? Because we are all damned with the inescapable knowledge of our own eventual demise. It’s a pants-shitting fear that constantly
Why We Buy: To Forget We Will Die Read More »
“An artist carries on throughout his life a mysterious, uninterrupted conversation with his public.” – Maurice Chevalier, Born Sep. 12, 1888. A business has a conversation with the market, and with its prospects, and with its customers. That’s what marketing and advertising and selling IS: a conversation. Social media and Internet-based marketing in general has
No Message Stands Alone – All Communication is CONVERSATION Read More »
“Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It’s how true friends talk.” – Peggy Noonan, Born Sep. 7, 1950. In times past, social interaction required a facade of formality. Especially in a business context. Gentlemen wore suits of clothes, and exchanged handshakes and cards and engaged in small talk, followed by queries and responses about
