“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 »
“Human beings love stories because they safely show us beginnings, middles and ends.” – A. S. Byatt, Born Aug. 24, 1936. The key part of this quote is the word “safely”. What we allow people to do with persuasive communication is a bit of virtual reality. A bit of lucid dreaming. We allow people to
Stories Allow Us Safe Exploration Of Dangerous Futures Read More »
“If you don’t write stories you love, you’ll never make it. If you don’t write stories that other people love, you’ll never make it.” – Ray Bradbury, Born Aug. 22, 1920. Your best work is going to occur in that intersection or overlap where the subject you are passionate and enthusiastic about is the same
It’s Not Enough to Simply Love What You Do 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 »
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” – Napoleon Bonaparte, Born Aug. 15, 1769. Isn’t this what influencers, persuaders, gurus, etc. actually do? We give people the precious gift of an easy decision. Without our help, there are too many confusing options that keep
People Don’t Want Options – They Want You To Decide For Them Read More »
“Anything that isn’t opposed by about 40 percent of humanity is either an evil business or so unimportant that it simply doesn’t matter.” – Russell Baker, Born Aug, 14, 1925. Whenever you’re formulating a product, or even just trying to market an existing product, it’s important to think about who will oppose it, and how
The Law of Rejection (Works Almost As Well, TBH) 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 »
