Salesmen Know What Copywriters Don’t: When to Shut Up

“It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play.” – John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, Born Oct. 21, 1917.

In persuasion, saying too much is a mistake.

You need to say exactly enough, and no more.

You want the mark's memory and imagination and desire to do all the heavy lifting. Because their own inclinations and conclusions don't trigger their resistance.

If you color in too much, complete too much of the picture, you don't leave any room for their brain to have to work to fill in those crucial gaps.

So how do you know what to leave out? Does it take a lifetime to learn like Dizzy with jazz?

No, fortunately.

But it's different than most people think. It's not NLP. It's not magic. It doesn't even have to be good writing to work.

You're telling them a story, but with holes.

You want to invite them to have their own reactions with their real emotions.

You want them to remember being in similar situations, and imagine what they would do if they had similar opportunities.

We can do this through using characters to give the reader a point of view to see through. Let them adopt another way to see and think and feel.

The brain is a powerful simulation computer and even imaginary experiences can create memories.

We can do this using vague descriptions that require them to use their memories to fill in detail.

This is powerful because a new story decorated with old memories gets absorbed much more easily than something where every detail is brand new.

It’s about what you leave room for, and how you get them to jump into those gaps. When they do, you have them.

Your tune is their tune.

And you can make 'em dance, too.