“Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Born Jun. 28, 1712. What I love about this quote is that people generally believe it, and that makes it easy to trick them. “Nature” is an amorphous idea that most people would struggle to define. But it’s “real” and it’s “truth” […]
People Believe This, And You Can Use It To Manipulate Them Read More »
“The active part of man consists of powerful instincts, some of which are gentle and continuous; others violent and short; some baser, some nobler, and all necessary.” – Francis W. Newman, Born Jun. 27, 1805. One of the mistakes a novice persuader can make is to attempt to work on the mark’s logic. But that’s
To Persuade Quickly: Attack Instinct Via Emotions, Then Logic Read More »
“Great advertising, in and of itself, becomes a benefit of the product.” – George Lois, Born Jun. 26, 1932. What old George is saying here is that objects (like products, for example) all have a story. They just do. Someone invented those products, for some purpose, to solve some problem, to sell to some person,
If They Don’t Buy Into the Story, They Won’t Pay For the Product Read More »
“When I was writing ‘Kitchen Confidential,’ I was in my 40s, I had never paid rent on time, I was 10 years behind on my taxes, I had never owned my own furniture or a car.” – Anthony Bourdain, Born Jun, 25, 1956. I didn’t start doing this “Cult of Copy” thing – my life’s
It’s Only Too Late To Start If You Woke Up Dead Today Read More »
“The difference is slight, to the influence of an author, whether he is read by 500 readers, or by five hundred thousand; if he can select the 500, he reaches the five hundred thousand.” – Brooks Adams, Born Jun. 24, 1848. This is relevant to the would-be gurus among you. You can
Influence the Influencers First, As a Shortcut Read More »
“First, make yourself a reputation for being a creative genius.” – David Ogilvy, Born Jun, 23, 1911. I truncated this quote. Steps two and three only apply if you’re working with partners – if you want to know, look it up… For now, though, I want to focus on what Ogilvy said was his first
How to Become a Genius Without Being That Smart Read More »
“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.
How One Little Story Twist Kidnaps the Reader’s Brain Read More »
“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.
Why Being a Good Writer is a Dangerous Power Read More »
“Someone gave me a piece of advice once, my first manager Lucien Hold. He said, ‘If you do stand-up about your own life, no one can steal it.’ I always thought that was the best piece of advice.” – Mike Birbiglia, Born Jun. 20, 1978. Here is a neat trick to turn practically any piece
How to Become Impervious to Copiers and Plagiarists Read More »
“Stories in families are colossally important. Every family has stories: some funny, some proud, some embarrassing, some shameful. Knowing them is proof of belonging to the family.” – Salman Rushdie, Born Jun. 19, 1947. Belonging. People want it. Especially people online. Of the people online, especially the ones on social media. Social media is a
The “Cult of Copy” Is The Title of a Story and You’re The Main Character Read More »
