Turn on the television. See how long it takes before you see a “branding” commercial. These are commercials that work to make some kind of “indelible impression” on the mind of viewers. An impression about the business. Why do they do this? In the hopes that somehow, someday, someone will buy something. And maybe it […]
Marketing
Communication Is Not Clear
You think you’re getting your point across – but are you? One of the most valuable lessons I ever learned about communication is this: the communication is not what you mean to say, it’s what the other person hears. If your communications are not getting you the results you want, it might be time to […]
Is Marketing Evil?
Recently a college student I know was talking to a minister. My college student acquaintance told the minister,”I’m going into the marketing business.” The minister responded, “Oh, so you’re going to sell people stuff they don’t need for a living? And you’re okay with that?” My young college friend was stopped in her tracks. She […]
Writing to Create Bonding
We allow ourselves to be influenced by the people we like. The reason good salespeople are known to be friendly (some even hyper-friendly) is because they understand this core principle: being likable is one of the quickest ways to being influential. The reason we are turned off by “pushy” salespeople is their attempts to be […]
Writing to Be “Fascinating!”
We are a world of people who love to be fascinated. We obsess over our favorite celebrities, their lifestyles, relationships, and illnesses. In her book, Fascinate, Sally Hogshead claims that the ability to create fascination is one of the most powerful ways of influencing behavior. She says, in fact, that it is “more persuasive than […]