In his book, “The Art of Writing Copy,” Marketing wiz H.G. Lewis said:
Tying two statements together with “and” adds flow and subtracts impact.
Here is an Example of what he means:
Which bullet point is stronger?
In my line of work, every word counts, and I practice what I call “word economy.”
In my line of work, every word counts. I practice what I call “word economy.”
Line one has flow, but the “and” dilutes the strength of both statements. Line two creates a momentary loss of flow, but retains the impact of the individual statements.
Maybe you’ll guffaw. Maybe you’ll think that a one-word, comma-versus-period change isn’t worth your thought or effort. But I challenge you to give it a try in your next marketing campaign, particularly if you are limited to a specific word count. Write your first draft, then, as Lewis recommends, “cold-bloodedly” remove the “ands” when they link two thoughts. Then read the statements out loud, considering the intent of the overall campaign.
If the chair on which the bishop sat had not been called a “cathedra,” the building in which the chair was kept would not have been called a “cathedral.”
If the saint’s cape had not been called a “chapele,” the building in which it was kept would not have been called a “chapel,” nor would the guard at the building, the keeper of the cloak, have been called a “chaplain.”
If you’ve had any conversation of significance with me in the last two years, you know I am a huge fan of the Canadian mystery writer, Louise Penny, author of the Inspector Gamache series.
From the first book in the series, Still Life, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache tells the detectives under his supervision there are four saying that lead to wisdom. They are:
I was wrong
I’m sorry
I don’t know
I need help
Seems to me these four statements are the underpinnings of quality relationships and great customer service, no matter what business you might be in. Ultimately, much about our relationships – personal or business – depends our our willingness to admit to being human.
Why is it sometimes so hard to say, “I was wrong”?
When did it become a sign of weakness to say, “I don’t know,” or “I need help”?
And what healing could come if we all had the courage just to say, “I’m sorry”?
I read a post recently that said we must learn to accept the apology we never received. I think we must also learn to give the apology that might never be accepted. I’ve begun, in my morning meditation, to offer forgiveness and/or apology to those I may never see or hear from again. In the end, the one we must forgive, and the one to whom we must apologize, is ourselves.
I’ve been wrong. I’m often sorry. There are many things I don’t know, and many times I need help.
Q: What “Man” was the Isle of Man named after?
A: “Manannan,” the legendary Celtic lord of the sea
Manannan mac Lir is likely the most prominent sea deity of Irish mythology and literature. With his sea-borne chariot, affiliation with horses and cloak of invisibility, he guards the otherworld and the afterlife, incorporating aspects of the ancient Greek gods Poseidon and Hades.
David Brooks, the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking was in Toledo, Ohio last November, as the keynote speaker for the District 28 Toastmasters Fall Conference.
He talked about a trivia column he read years ago, in which the author – one L.M. Boyd, noted that every human being experiences six emotions:
happiness sadness anger surprise disgust fear
The gist of his presentation, relating to professional speakers, was this: The best way to connect with an audience – in person, over the airwaves or internet, is to share moments in your own life that elicit the emotion you want them to feel. When you share a moment that brought you happiness, most people will share that same sense of happiness as you tell it. As Mr. Brooks says, “They may not have been there for the moment, but they will be there for the emotion.”
How can and will you use L.M. Boyd’s wisdom in marketing your product, your service, or yourself as a public speaker?
Sometimes in speech writing and marketing you can change the audience’s perception without changing the facts. One way to do this is by putting psychology to work with The Generic Determination Rule. Detailed by famed Direct Marketing/Copywriting Guru Herschel Gordon Lewis, the rule states:
“The generic determines reaction more than the number.”
This means that when you are indicating time, size, distance, or a number of other factors related to your product or service, the generic⏤months versus days, hours versus minutes, miles versus feet⏤is more important than the number attached to it.
Lewis gives a great example when he asks “What if McDonald’s Quarter Pounder were called McDonald’s Four Ouncer?”
Yes, a quarter pound IS four ounces.
But somehow, a quarter pound sounds significantly larger than four ounces, because pounds are heavier than ounces.
Depending on your intent, you could market the same burger two ways:
For our weight conscious friends, this popular burger is just four ounces. Dressed up with your favorite low-cal toppings, it packs a wallop! OR
Our all-around best selling burger⏤a full quarter pound of choice meat⏤with all your favorite toppings!
One month free trial is perceptually longer than a 30-day free trial.
One hourfeels longer than 60 minutes.
If I were to tell you my office is five thousand, two hundred and eighty feet north of town, you might, for just a moment, think you’d have to pack a lunch to get there. But if I told you instead that I am just one mile north of town, well, that’s an easy trip, isn’t it? Putting the rule and the psychology behind it to use, you could drive a customer or prospect away from a competitor and right to your door.
Think of The Generic Determination Ruleas you are creating your next advertisement, menu, or sales pitch. First determine how you want your prospects or customers to perceive the extent, usefulness, or appropriateness of your product or service. Then choose the generic that matches your intent – bigger/smaller, faster/slower, farther/closer, shorter/longer.
I’d been blogging monthly for nine years when, in January 2016, I decided to put off the post for a week while I considered changes in my life and world. That week turned into a month, then six months of silence.
I questioned my interest in the business that supported me well for 17 years, challenged my ability to write motivational, practical blog posts, and disputed my willingness to participate in an increasingly disassociated and negative online world.
Lost in a world of meaningless chatter, something had to give.
Next thing I knew two years had passed and I hadn’t written a single blog post. I had grown comfortable in my silence.
Then came December, and the problem that caused me to move my website from one hosting company to another. In the process, I had to copy all the page content and blog posts, paste them into the new site, and reformat everything.
It was time consuming.
And it was exhilarating.
Posts I had written in 2007 were still relevant today, and many were more powerful now than when they were first published. Among them, these:
The process renewed my passion for solid, proven marketing communications, and my desire to be “in the thick of it” with my clients. Now, I use silence in a different way, internally and externally. It has become a solace rather than a wall.
Have you stepped away from some aspect of your life, only to discover it anew? What was it, what did you learn, how will you move forward?
Here we go again – the “Holiday Season” – no other time of celebration brings such anguish along with it, from what to buy to what to say. I can’t help you with the what to buy part, but can offer help in what to say in your greeting cards, or in everyday conversation.
When you live and work in the multi-cultural worlds of most major cities in America, the chances are pretty good that you have colleagues, neighbors, clients, and friends whose faith or culture is different from yours.
I’m a big believer in the sentiment that floats around Facebook every December that says:
Say What Has Meaning for You
We have no right to demand that others go along with our beliefs or behaviors. We do have, if we truly subscribe to any one of the major religions, a moral obligation to treat each other as we would want to be treated. Here are ten statements you can put in the cards you send either personally or for business, adding or omitting the names of your holiday or the one of the person to whom the card is addressed:
May your holidays and New Year be filled with laughter, good food, and good friends.
Warm wishes we send to you, for happy holidays, and in the new year, too!
Enjoy the sweet moments this holiday season can bring.
Make memories that last through the new year, give thanks, give love, and be of good cheer!
Amazing people like you make the world brighter for people like us. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!
There’s no better time to tell you just how much your business means to us throughout the whole year. Happy Holidays!
Remembering you with warm wishes for a happy and peaceful holiday season.
Wishing you joy at the holidays and in the coming year.
May your holidays be merry, may it fill your hearts with cheer, and may all of you be happy throughout the bright new year!
Sending you warm wishes of gratitude this holiday season for your business, support, and referrals. Happy Holidays!
An added, personal message such as, “Dear Pete & Judy, hope your ski trip is great!” is a great way to let your contacts know they are special. One last tip: Hand address the envelopes. Yes, it takes a lot more time than printing and slapping on a label, but handwriting also tells the receiver you were thinking of them. Address a few at a time while you veg in front of the TV at night. If your penmanship is hard to read, hire one of your staff members or a friend to write them for you – and don’t forget to give them a bonus check!
C’mon, admit it – you believe the dictionary definition that states, “excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.”
You’ve believed it, and then pushed your belief beyond it, because somehow, being extremely good came to be equated with perfection, with being the best.
But do we do disservice to ourselves and our role models by insisting that equation is true? What if it’s NOT?
What if excellence is not so much a being as it is a doing?
“To excel is to do better today than you did yesterday.”
Compare your performance today with yesterday’s results.
If you improved or advanced, you excelled.
If you see room for more improvement, you are looking at tomorrow’s opportunity to excel.
Now, Dana LaMon knows a thing or two about doing better one day at a time.
He’s a retired Administrative Law Judge for the California Department of Social Services, a graduate of Yale University, and the author of four books for inspiration and personal development. He has given motivational speeches in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, and 31 states of the United States to audiences as diverse as corporate executives to kindergarten students and religious congregations to prison inmates.
Oh, one more thing – he’s been blind since he was four years old, and is very clear in stating that there were plenty of folks throughout his life who said, “But you are blind, you can’t…” Thankfully for us, he knew better. A friend gave him the experience of driving a car, and he learned to hit a 3-point shot on the basketball court thanks to that same friend.
Yes, he knows a few things about doing better one day at a time.
Here are his 8 Points Regarding Excellence:
Improvement: Do you give each day and each task your very best effort?
Development: Are you using your talents and abilities to your greatest advantage?
Movement: Excellence welcomes change. Do you?
Tenacity: In the face of opposition, a commitment to excellence pushes you to work harder.
Adjustments: What excuses do you make? If you are committed to excellence, you make adjustments, not excuses.
Possibilities: (I think this is my favorite quote of all) The realm of possibility and the field of uncertainty occupy the same space.
Teamwork: Teams require a “what’s in it for US” mentality, not “what’s in it for ME.”
Love: Quality can be controlled, Time can be managed, but people need to be loved, and that is the connector.
So what do you think? Is excellence about being perfect, being the best, or as Dana LaMon says, being better today than you were yesterday?
Wednesday Word Trivia info is derived from the writings of the late 
