“An actor entering through the door, you’ve got nothing. But if he enters through the window, you’ve got a situation.” – Billy Wilder, Born Jun. 22, 1906. This is the secret of telling a seductive story that uses curiosity to suck the audience in like a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a blowjob metaphor…. Read More →
Why Being a Good Writer is a Dangerous Power
“Words are loaded pistols.” – Jean-Paul Sartre, Born Jun. 21, 1905. I like this quote a lot as it relates to persuasive writing. Much better than that Shakespeare bullshit about the pen being mightier than the sword. That just makes people cocky and ineffective. Good persuasive writing paints the untenable scenario for the reader. Wronged…. Read More →
How To Make Even Strangers Come To Trust Your Every Word…
“People crave trustworthy information about the world we live in. Some people want it because it is essential to the way they make a living. Some want it because they regard being well-informed as a condition of good citizenship. Some want it because they want something to exchange over dinner tables and water coolers.” –… Read More →
Chimpanzees In Shoes: Or Why This Job Is So Easy…
“I think those who object to my characterizing man as simple want somehow to retain a deep mystery at his core.” – Herbert A. Simon, Born Jun. 15, 1916. You are a chimpanzee in shoes. Your “self” is a hallucination being had by a computer made of meat. Civilization is a byproduct of… Read More →
Turn Your Pitch Into Gossip, and People Lean in Closely
“Gossip is essentially storytelling: storytelling about people whom we know.” – Mona Simpson, Born Jun. 14, 1957. I think gossip – as a tone – is an under-appreciated angle when it comes to persuasion and influence. *leans in to closer* Listen… Gossip isn’t just a story about people we know – it can be the… Read More →
Why Testimony is Better Than Any Copy Anyone Can Write
“Expressions of solemn testimony have long been important to the children of God upon the earth.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin, Born Jun. 11, 1917. I’m going to pretend this quote is about the use of testimonials in advertising. So many marketers misunderstand the PURPOSE of testimonials, and therefore, they MISUSE them. You don’t… Read More →
Any Message That Isn’t Deliberately Persuasive Is Wasted
“If language did not affect behavior, it could have no meaning.” – Kenneth L. Pike, Born Jun. 9, 1912. There are a buncha idiots out there who frown upon the use of language for deliberate persuasive aim. You know them. They hate commercials. They think marketing is evil. They probably brag about not owning a… Read More →
Connect the Offer With the Deepest Felt Need
“Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for the deep psychological need they fill.” – Nicky Oppenheimer, Born Jun. 8, 1945. The former chairman of DeBeers says diamonds are worthless. Yet go to a jeweler and see what this worthless item sells for. Certainly not at a price that reflects the worth. Why the markup? Solely due… Read More →
Proper Pricing is All Relative – Position Properly, Please
“The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things.” – William Inge, Born Jun. 6, 1860. I’d be willing to say ALL value is perception based, and is therefore relative. And perception of value is based on RELATIVE comparisons rather than any objective absolutes. For example, something that costs $50 might seem… Read More →
If They Believe You Truly “See” Them, They Listen Closely to Your Advice
“The rare pleasure of being seen for what one is, compensates for the misery of being it.” – Margaret Drabble, Born Jun, 5, 1939. The vast majority of the average assholes of planet earth will consign themselves to a lifelong practice of suppressing their true selves. Put upon by the burden of just being fake… Read More →
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