“When you stand alone and sell yourself, you can’t please everyone. But when you’re different, you can last.” – Don Rickles, Born May 8, 1926. There is no flavor that every tongue will find appealing. Hell, not even every taste bud on the same tongue will like every flavor it touches. But there are flavors… Read More →
Write From a Place of Emotional Truth, and Transfer That Emotion to Your Reader
“Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader.” – Joseph Joubert, Born May 7, 1754. Maybe Joe here was only intending to write things that gave people pleasure. In which case, I would agree with the first part of his statement. But is… Read More →
How to Sell By Telling People What They WILL NOT Get When They Buy
“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” – Sigmund Freud, Born May 6, 1856. But Siggy, what if people could have freedom, but WITHOUT the burden of responsibility? Wouldn’t that be the greatest thing since sliced bread? What would people pay for that kind… Read More →
Don’t Sell Objects – Sell Results, Outcomes – Sell THE FUTURE
“When you sell a man a book, you don’t sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue – you sell him a whole new life.” – Christopher Morley, Born May 5, 1890. And so it goes with everything. You aren’t selling the action you want the mark to take. Whether it’s buying, subscribing,… Read More →
Even the Mirror Will Lie to You About What We Really Are…
“Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, Born May 3, 1469. Darling Nicci. How I love you. Listen, so many people will tell you that you need to deeply probe the customer’s mind to be able to sell them. You need a 159 point… Read More →
Make Them Believe You Would Tell Them All Your Secrets, And They Will Love You
“Folks don’t like to have somebody around knowing more than they do.” – Harper Lee, Born Apr. 28, 1926. When you’re trying to position yourself as a trusted advisor, your audience can’t ever feel like you are holding out on them. They can’t feel like you’re keeping secrets or withholding valuable knowledge for yourself. Countering… Read More →
Infinite Ideas To Write About When You Need Them (Preparation Hack)
“Ideally, one should have more material than one can possibly cope with.” – Frank Auerbach, Born Apr. 19, 1931. “I can’t think of anything to write about.” Some people say that. Bitch-baby writers do. Not me. I am a bottomless wellspring of material. I didn’t used to be. But I endeavored a little to make… Read More →
Everything Old is New Again – If You Just Try a Little Bit
“The secret of good writing is to say an old thing in a new way or to say a new thing in an old way.” – Richard Harding Davis, Born Apr. 18, 1864. I wouldn’t say it’s THE secret… But it IS a great trick. Can’t think of something to write? 1. Take some old… Read More →
Complexity is the Adversary of Actualizing Your Productive Potential (So Simplify, Silly!)
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci, Born Apr. 15, 1452. Y’all are making shit too complicated. Drowning in options and possibilities? Start slapping some arbitrary limitations on yourself and see what you come up with. Innovation and elegance come from making the best solution out of what you have at hand. So… Read More →
How to Get Away With Embellishment: Admit To It Proudly!
“There is no persuasiveness more effectual than the transparency of a single heart, of a sincere life.” – Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Born Apr. 13, 1828. Let’s define a term temporarily for the purpose of this piece. I’m talking about your average bullshitter. And by “bullshitter” I mean the kind of person that is just always… Read More →
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