For those of you familiar with my first book, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, I talk about what I call the “problem pair,” or more familiarly, the “duck bunny,” after an old 19th-century optical illusion of a duck that looks like a bunny, or a bunny that looks like a duck, […]
Ten years ago, I had high hopes. I was going to take everything I’d learned from marketing and brand messaging and apply it to sales messaging. And I struggled. I struggled with what most salespeople struggle with, and that was anticipating objections. After all, a grand and glorious aspirational brand message doesn’t always account for
Anticipating objections Read More »
If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “All persuasion is self-persuasion” then you have just experienced for yourself one of the most important concepts when it comes to inspiring internally motivated action. Why is internally motivated action important? Well, it’s important if what you’re looking for is not just action on something new, but when you’re
“A thousand songs in your pocket.” “Two great tastes that taste great together.” “Jaws in space.” Do any of those sound familiar? The first is how Steve Jobs famously introduced the Apple iPod in 2001. The second is the 1970s and ’80s tagline for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups—the “two great tastes” being chocolate and peanut
There’s no such thing as believers remorse Read More »
Want to know a secret? For someone to act on the change you’re suggesting—whether it’s a shift in idea, approach, strategy, or behavior—they need to be motivated. Sounds obvious, right? But here’s where it gets interesting: We’re never neutral about the things we’re not neutral about. Yes, yes, I know that’s another obvious idea. When
Remove the neutral position Read More »
All you want to do is cancel your cable service. You pick up the phone, dial the number, and brace yourself for the inevitable. The customer service representative answers, and upon hearing your request, switches into high gear. They start pitching every imaginable package, deal, and special offer. It’s a relentless barrage of benefits, each
You can’t want it more than they do Read More »
How do you inspire someone to act, to change, or to think differently than they do right now? There are two key principles at play: So, what does that mean when it comes to creating the foundation of your message? Because intuition drives agreement—and agreement drives action—your message must be intuitively agreeable from the start.
Want to inspire action? Start here. Read More »
Hello, you! Internally motivated change—the kind that come from the inside out—often begins with something you simply can’t unhear. It’s sparked by a truth that resonates so deeply it shifts your perspective. Phrases like, “When two truths fight, only one wins,” or, “A life lived in fear is a life half lived,” or, “You can’t
Recognizable Truths Read More »
All change involves choice. Sometimes, that choice is between two things someone deeply believes or values. That kind of choice creates a specific form of mental pain: cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort someone feels when conflicting beliefs or desires challenge their current understanding of the world—when the Ding! of truth makes their previous
When two truths fight, only one wins Read More »
