“The ability to speak is a short cut to distinction. It puts a man in the limelight, raises him head and shoulders above the crowd.” – Lowell Thomas, Born Apr. 6, 1892. Getting on stage to teach copy at marketing events was easily the biggest factor in my rapid rise to recognition and success – […]
Speaking Publicly is the Shortcut to Authority on Any Topic (If You Don’t Do It Wrong) Read More »
“The first thing we become convinced of is that man is organized so as to be far more sensible of pain than of pleasure.” – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Born Apr. 1, 1755. The persuader would do well to learn that when it comes to making someone take a desired action, there are two general forces
Honey May Catch More Flies Than Vinegar, But Vinegar Makes More Sales… Read More »
“No writer should minimize the factor that affects everyone, but is beyond control: luck.” – John Jakes, Born Mar. 31, 1932. A positioning secret which probably seems counterintuitive to many, is to admit that your success is due in large part to luck. And I don’t mean like a gambler’s cocky bragging about how you’re
Admission of Luck Makes Success Seem Attainable to Those Who Would Buy Advice From You Read More »
“Things have to be believable, not in a literal, photographic sense, but in an emotional sense – capturing the essence of the situation.” – Michael Foreman, Born Mar. 21, 1938. Emotional authenticity is key. What people frequently call “hype” is when the writer’s enthusiasm is inauthentic. It feels forced and faked, and therefore what you’re
Conjuring Emotion in Your Reader is Easy – Just EXPLAIN Them Read More »
“A strong emotion, especially if experienced for the first time, leaves a vivid memory of the scene where it occurred.” – Algernon Blackwood, Born Mar. 14, 1869. You ever see that movie “Inception” where that team of mental mercenaries implants an idea into someone’s memory, so that they mistake it for their own? I can
How to “Inception” Your Ideas Into Other People’s Brains – With Only a Pencil and Paper… Read More »
“THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them.” – Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, Born Mar. 13, 1911. Get out the Preparation H because every time his topic comes
Don’t Lie to Yourself – Deception is What Fuels All Persuasion Read More »
“The greatest sin for a writer is to be boring.” – Carl Hiaasen, Born Mar. 12, 1953. If you can manage to keep yourself free of this sin, the world can be yours. It doesn’t matter if you’re not so convincing, or so poetic, or so informative. Your readers will forgive you for that. Just
The Cure for Boredom and Being Boring: How to Be Interesting All the Time Read More »
“The questions don’t do the damage. Only the answers do.” – Sam Donaldson, Born Mar. 11, 1934. In Sam’s field of journalism, that can be true. A probing question that gets an answer from a prominent figure is often revealing in a way the answerer may not have meant. And often, it can be damaging
Know the Answers Your Reader Won’t Think to Ask For Read More »
“For imagination sets the goal picture which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of will, as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.” – Maxwell Maltz, Born Mar. 10, 1899. The vast majority of people possess withered and disused imaginations. Having to deal with the real world
Paint a Pretty Picture and Prospects Become Purchasers Read More »
“Most successful pundits are selected for being opinionated, because it’s interesting, and the penalties for incorrect predictions are negligible. You can make predictions, and a year later people won’t remember them.” – Daniel Kahneman, Born Mar. 5, 1934. Gurus need to make a lot of predictions. That’s really why people follow us at all. People
