Bottled Opportunity

When young, our shelves are full of opportunity. An endless array of options, all bottled up, stretching far out of site. These bottled opportunities just sit, waiting for us to take action.

As we grow, bottles get broken. Many are opened and spilled. It's easy to feel we're losing opportunity as the days go by.

And yes, there are many broken bottles on the floor. Opportunities have passed us by. Smashed on the floor. Gone forever. But you've been growing too. The highest shelves are now much closer. You're able to reach bottles today you couldn't even see 5 years ago.

What's inside?

6 WAYS TO HOOK YOUR AUDIENCE (ie -customers) :: PART 2

PAINT THE CLOWN

ENGAGES: LAUGHTER (& judgement)

Part 1: Show us the leader and why they're ridiculous
Part 2: Help us understand why you're the more sensible alternative.

Examples: Apple's "Apple vs. PC", Wendy's "Where's the Beef" &"pieces is pieces", Nissan Leaf's "Gas Powered Everything"

You've innovated something new and amazing.the world deserves your ideas and products. But the marketplace is dominated by the old guard. your way might be better, but how do you get enough exposure for the world to discover you?

It'd be nice if you could simply show us your ideas, products, and why they're better. But your competitors spend a lot of time and money polishing their image. We all know their image and likely use their products. Criticize a product we use and it's like you're criticizing us!

Instead, what if you can help us laugh? We love laughing! We love those who make us laugh even more.

If you can just get us to laugh at your competitor, you've got gold. You know better than to criticize directly, so you turn the competitor into a joke, one we can all enjoy. As we laugh, their image is made clownish, garish and caricatured.  Our laughter paints the clown. The louder we laugh, the more clownish they appear.

Remember Wendy's classic commercial, "Where's the Beef"? Three little old ladies stare at a giant sandwich. The first two talk about the simply humongous bun. Then they lift the bun to reveal an itsy burger. The third lady shouts out, "Where's the Beef?!?" And in that instant, McDonalds is covered in paint. We're left laughing cause we've all experienced Big Mac's enormous bun and mediocre beef.

Notice the ad never directly criticizes McDonalds, their name's not even mentioned. Now the ad is no longer criticizing we who've eaten there. We get to laugh along with Wendy's, realizing we've all been victim to these tiny burgers.

Then the most important part, Wendy's takes a moment to remind us of their value, polishing their image for us all to see. "At Wendy's you get more beef and less bun." Once you Paint the Clown upon the leader, you've got to demonstrate why your better. This is key. And since we're already on your side, laughing along with you, we're more likely to believe it.

Do you have a competitor who's bigger and stronger than you? Are you working to gain traction for a new idea no one seems to understand? You can't tear your competitors down with much ease. But every giant has that chink in their armor. Show us how to laugh at them and we'll enjoy helping you to Paint the Clown.

Less Takes More

"I would have written less, but I ran out of time." -Blaise Pascal

It's easy to write a lot of words. The difficult part, as any Twitter expert will attest, is writing less. A 1,000 word essay often seems to get written faster than its 3 word title.

After writing songs for 10 years, I feel I should be used to brevity. When clients want a slogan, shouldn't it be simple? But no. Three words takes more effort than 3,000. I continue to labor under this fantasty that writing should happen as fast as I can type. But it doesn't. Writing less takes more.

Case in point, I just spent the past 5 and a half hours at my desk to script only 7 words. They are: "The Kiss of Thirst" and "Hug Their Heartstrings", which are the next two types of hooks we'll be covering. More tomorrow.

Luckily, you have patience. You have knowledge. And there are few problems that cannot be solved with the application of time. Thanks for using yours so wisely.

GORGEOUS MODELS UGLY SALES

In 2001, a little known assistant professor at Louisiana State University did some deep research on advertising.

It had always been assumed you must put the most beautiful people available into your advertisements. Sex appeal and innate beauty capture customers' attention and drives sales forward. The more attractive your model, the better off you'll be.

But Amanda B. Bower, Ph.D. suspected differently. She's led a few to demonstrate that highly attractive models actually cause us normal customers to feel inferior. Worse yet, we customers then associate these feelings of inferiority with the products themselves, and sales fall. Nobody likes to buy inferior products!

There is an exception. When selling a product designed to increase one's attractiveness, then customers tend to make sense of it. They draw the conclusion, if I want to be as attractive as this model, I just need to buy the right shampoo, the right shirt, the right sports car, or whatever else the product may be, and all will get better.

So if you've built a product that legitimately helps people become more attractive, you likely want to get the most gorgeous models available to help build your brand. But if your products are designed for any other purpose, normal or just moderately attractive people will offer your promotions a much greater return on investment.

I know you likely aren't the type to even be affected by advertising. But knowing how it works is key to your business and your life. Get out there. Let it ring! Because the improvements that you and you're products are able to help others achieve is the part of life that's most gorgeous of all.

How 2 Improve the Pitch

When making your next pitch, whether for a new product, new client, or a new idea for the school's PTO, the goal is to sway minds and generate action.

We often use words that make the pitch feel like a thing. We write the pitch. We prepare it. We give it. We critique it.

But these words miss the point. Your pitch is not a noun. It's not a thing you can give. Your pitch is a verb. It's something you do. You step to the plate. Toss those new ideas onto the field. Prepare to catch whatever comes flying back at you.

The pitch is interactive, and the one who stays active, nimble, and ready for change is the one who's ideas are most likely to fly.

ALLOWED TO WIN BOTH

It's easy to hate war. It's easy to take our freedoms for granted. Today's a good day to be thankful for those who've allowed us to win both.

6 Ways to Hook Your Audience (ie - Customers) :: Part 2

This post has been edited and re-written here. Thanks for your incredible interest.

PROTECTING FORT SUMTER FOR NOW

Imagine you're in the White House. You've just been voted president! But the Union is falling apart. 6 states have already announced their independence and declaring themselves a separate country.

Senators and Congressmen of these 6 states have been planning for a bit. Many war supplies and much ammunition has already cleverly been diverted for storage in their lands. Britain and France would both love an excuse to invade. Further, the American people do not want war.

Life isn't made fair, and it isn't made easy. Luckily, we have options.

Abraham Lincoln could do nothing until being sworn in March 4th, 1861. Even after, there was little support for war. So he ignored all claims of independence and maintained Fort Sumter in the middle of Charleston's harbor.

The Confederates, upset that Washington controlled a Fort in their harbor, decided to take it over. The moment they fired on Fort Sumter, they raised the ire of every person in the North. Those who'd been unwilling to fight are suddenly volunteering for war. Lincoln had his Rallying Cry and the Confederacy initiated their own defeat.

Though your dreams are big, its rare that others can see your bigger picture. Sometimes the Rallying Cry is ready and waiting. Sometimes you have to stay content with just protecting Fort Sumter for now.

6 Ways to Hook Your Audience (ie - Customers!) :: part #1

THE RALLYING CRY:
Engages: Fear
-Part 1 : "What is the enemy, and why is it bad?"
-Part 2 : "Show how your product/service will conquer this problem and make life good again"
Examples: Rush Limbaugh, Orkin, diet books, life insurance, the snuggie, etc...

Remember that phrase from the Gulf War, "the enemey of my enemy is my friend"? This is how The Rallying Cry works. It helps your audience (customers) join you to focus on a common enemy. The enemy doesn't have to be human. It can be a situation or inconvenience. A common enemy makes you a trusted ally. People suddenly become much more interested in rallying around your ideas, products and services when you are attempting to help them vanquish a foe.

It's easy to see that politicians use this Hook relentlessly, especially in today's bi-partisan Washington. They spend much more time pointing fingers and laying blame than seeking solutions.

But you can also see this hook used to build business. Remember the Snuggie? They utilized The Rallying Cry quite effectively. Their ads depicted normal people, on a couch, struggling to get comfortable with a blanket. These were everyday, if exagerrated, annoyances we all endure. We've all struggled to use a remote, or to eat popcorn with a blanket. It's annoying and the ad reminds us to fear it will happen again.

Once the common enemy is outlined, viewers understand the problem. When Snuggie offers a solution, audiences jumped to buy. They trust the manufacturer who shares their annoyance and decide to buy that manufacturer's solution.

Snuggie's Rallying Cry bashed the established brand of 'blanket'. And it worked!

-Orkin builds The Rallying Cry around fears of bugs and pests.
-WeightWatchers builds their Rallying Cry around a fear of weight
-Allstate's "Mayhem" commercials rally us around a fear of disaster so they can focus us on their solution
-Rush Limbaugh has proven extremely successful by focusing audiences on a fear of "the other side of the political aisle".

These examples might make The Rallying Cry appear trite and rude, but it can also be used to save the world. Abraham Lincoln used the Confederacy's attack of Ft. Sumter as a Rallying Cry that put the entire North behind him, politically for the first time, ready to fight for our Union. FDR used The Rallying Cry to get America into World War II, saving Europe from Hitler. Al Gore's film used it to help Americans accept global warming as an enemy.

The NFL uses The Rallying Cry to engage fans in a united effort to cheer for their team. Arch Rivals like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning rally fans to both sides, selling tickets, jerseys, and entertaining millions every Sunday afternoon.

You've found a problem. You know how to solve it. To get your solution out into the world where it can improve lives, you've got to help others understand its value. Are you working to oust a bigger, more established brand? Do you have grievances or annoyances in common with your audience? Are you working to help solve their problems? If so, The Rallying Cry may be waiting for you!

We can't wait to see the world rally around your idea. Nothing wins like a great solution.

Stay tuned for part 2: 6 Ways to Hook Your Audience (ie - Customers) - part #2 - Laughing at the Leader

More than Gold

The whole point of a campaign is to gather people to a common cause. Marketing campaigns are no different. So before you build the campaign, you must have a common cause.

You already have a mission and care deeply about it. People need your mission to succeed. It can help them immensely. There's pressure to make it happen fast.

So we look at the tools. We have direct mail, trade journals, radio, TV, or AdWords, Twitter, Facebook, email and more. The variety is overwhelming. Your choices grow complex.

To simplify, craft the message first. The tools can carry your words so far, but it's the words themselves that hold the power.

Why will they care? Your message deserves powerful words, words worth shouting from the rooftops. To get others to shout your message from their own rooftops, that's awesome, and you have the power to help them do it.

The tools are merely tools. They keep changing, evolving, becoming more powerful. It's your message that moves hearts, and changes minds. Your message keeps the whole team marching in formation. It's the essence of graceful. When you take that step further, and customers begin joining the march, then you know you've found the message that's worth much more than gold.

HOLD ON LOOSELY

.38 Special said you've gotta "Hold on Loosely". Princess Leia said "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

Pop culture often knows what science has yet to prove. But science has caught up. Edward Deci & Richard Ryan, two leading researchers at the University of Rochester, have demonstrated time and again that humans are more effective when they are doing activities they find interesting and enjoyable.

The more you tighten your grip, the less fun their job becomes. A pay raise might persuade us to work late, but it won't make the job more interesting or enjoyable. But you know how to Hold on Loosely, and we love it when you inspire great action by helping to kindle our own inner spark.

Help to Conquer Yours

When you find the right path, excitement mounts. You've been staring at the top of that mountain so long, you're ready to run.

Some mountains require a team, so you begin to assemble one. You seek people like yourself, people who love exploring new paths and figuring out how to get up them. So naturally, you look to recruit those who are proving it by climbing their own mountain. You admire their unfettered amibition, so much like your own.

The thing is, those who took time to find their own paths are unlikely to quit for yours. They've already spotted a path they love, and love that hunting even more than the climb.

You need people who love climbing so much they don't stop to look for new paths. They love moving so much, they prefer skipping the hunt. These people who are already helping conquer someone else's path are the ones most likely to help you conquer yours.

WILL YOU BRING YOUR AUDIENCE ALONG

Apple was known for innovation. With or without Steve Jobs, being tasked with revolutionizing the world every 12 months is not always possible to maintain.

Hannah Montana was known for her youth, which definitely can't last.

Now we wonder what Hannah's doing up there, pretending to be grown up. Why isn't Apple releasing the next game changer... yesterday!?

Both are still capable of offering value, but neither can live up to the brand they'd established so well. Kodak, Xerox, Britney Spears, Microsoft and many others have faced this same dilimma. Sooner or later, it happens to us all.

How these giants choose to handle the transition may be amusing to watch, but the more interesting question is you. How are you planning for your own change? Where are you going? How will you bring your audience along?

Walking Before You Step

The biggest ideas tackle the biggest problems. And big problems are like mountains. It takes many steps to get on top of them. And if you can't see the path, how do you take that first step?

When I started blogging, I didn't know if I was a writer. It was an experiment. 6 months went by. Nothing was posted. Beliefs began to form. The zapper in my head gloated, "nothing in 6 months? Surely you're no writer...!"

Luckily, deep in my day dreams a quieter voice whispered, "but how many hours have you spent actually typing...?" The answer was 'zero'.

So I sat down, turned off the cell phone and started my fingers walking across the keyboard. 90 minutes of jibberish went by. I kept wandering. Another hour later a sentence pops out that really works. I'd finally found the first step forward. A path emerges. 10 minutes later the rough draft is finished. The next day I make a few edits and click to upload. My first blog post is complete!

When you can't see the path, it's impossible to know where you should place your first step. But walking is so easy. If you don't know where to go, why not walk someplace you don't know? If you can't move forward, move aimlessly, for the most difficult part of a 10 minute journey is so often the 3 hours you spend aimlessly walking around, looking for that first step forward.

CUSTOMERS ARE FREE

Your returning customers are free. But you know there's more.

You know your brand must set the hook and reel them in. But reeling 'em in isn't enough. Unlike fish, your customers are also free to jump ship anytime. Keeping them in the boat is the most important part.

Obviously you need sharp hooks. Your yarns must not snap under pressure. But to keep them on board requires dependability. They stay because they want more of whatever it is you have.

Even when your brand is based on unpredictability (ie - Lady Gaga or Frank Zappa), you must remain reliably unpredictable. Because this is what keeps customers coming back for more.

In the end, those who do the best job of being what they say they are will win. In the end, it isn't the craftiest hooks or the most well-spun stories that win. Because customers keep jumping ship until they find the most consistently compelling value.

Give them what they want and learn to do it everytime. And once you've got the greatest value on the high seas, then you'll know it's time to start sharpening those hooks.

Expanding their Attention

What if you could put magic in your words, if every customer wanted to talk about you. Could there be a secret key. Check out the radio. Hit songs are chock full of metaphor for a reason. Your AUDIENCE loves them.

For example, check this out this lyric:

Pretty Diamond, in the rough
She's a diamond, full of special stuff
And really Tough
Pretty diamond, in the rough
I just hope it's enough...

The metaphor is like a magic trick. It forces us out of our rational mind and fires the imagination. A diamond cannot be a girl, nor a boy. The phrase is irrational. It's impossible. It makes no sense, unless we use our imagination. And with our imaginative interpretation, we suddenly see the girl is beautiful, precious, hard, sharp, multi-faceted, adored, and much much more. The moment we turn on our imaginations, we begin writing your Story for ourselves. Your Story becomes our Story.

And this is the secret behind hit songs. We love to share our favorite songs with a friend, not because we want to promote someone else's record, but because that record helps us better express ourselves. When I tell you about my favorite songs, I'm telling you about me and who I am. And this is the songwriter's dream, that their Audience want to tell the world, "That's my song!".

Now think about the words you use to describe your company. Your products. Your ideas. Are you describing your effort and accomplishments, the features and benefits you have to offer, hoping I'll take time out of my day to think about you, to tell someone else about you. Or are you describing your offerings in such a way that I can use what you do as a way to talk about myself?

So consider a metaphor. Keep the magic alive. As you build your brand and tell your story, what are the best words to inspire us to repeat it. Are you trying to accurately describe what you do? Or are you offering us a way to use your STUFF so we can go tell the world about ourselves.

You have it all inside. And we can't wait to learn more. How do you describe what you do. All you offer. I'd love to hear your ideas, to have new ways to tell the world about you. Please comment when you're able. Can't wait to hear more about you and your incredible Stuff!

TAKING NO EFFORT AT ALL

You put in the effort. You learn the lingo and study the numbers. You climb to the highest peaks of human accomplishment, for it is here that you find the brightest ideas.

But bright ideas are only half the journey. If you hold them up on top of the mountain, few can ever see them. It's when you bring those ideas back down to sea level, where we all can understand, that they're able to sail far and wide.

You see many who stay up top. So proud to have made it so high, they never want to leave. Eventually, they forget even how to climb. Their ivory towers dot the sky. They become trapped inside, surrounded by treasures few will ever see. Their highfalutin words unable to convey the brilliance inside.

But you are a climber, moving up and also down, conversing with those at every level. Your body and mind grow strong and limber. And through this churning, your ideas turn so fluid you watch as they rush to the sea, beginning to flow round the world on their own. And this is how your ideas learn to spread, while taking no effort at all.

Hard Thoughts are Easier

Physical prowess is amazing. We love watching football where some of the planet's strongest humans go at each other. They run, crush and fight their way down the field.

We humans are hard-wired to love physical strength. After all, in our early evolution, it was the strong who hunted for dinner, fought poachers off the crops, and kept our kids alive.

But strength alone is not enough. Take our biggest and strongest football team, throw them in a pit with 5 or 6 angry gorillas and the athletes are unlikely to live long. When it comes to strength, the animal kingdom crushes humanity every time.

However, if you give the humans some time to think, even just 5 minutes to plan, they're likely to win, and win we have.

The more we think, the more we win. Easy thinking makes for harder work. Hard thinking makes for easier work. 

Luckily, you have the tools. You have the prowess. Hard work can carry you only so far. Hard thoughts are easier, and this is how we fly.