{"id":16023,"date":"2019-11-14T10:20:13","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T18:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mynotetakingnerd.com\/blog\/?p=16023"},"modified":"2019-11-14T10:20:17","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T18:20:17","slug":"are-you-unintentionally-cheating-your-perfect-prospects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mynotetakingnerd.com\/blog\/are-you-unintentionally-cheating-your-perfect-prospects\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Unintentionally Cheating Your Perfect Prospects?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"short

Is your market crystal clear about all the delights you have in store for them?<\/p><\/div>\n

If you look at any of the major public personalities who are getting crucified by the public, the press, one side or the other of the government, etc. you will find one major commonality…\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brief<\/em>, incomplete<\/em>, and vague<\/em> responses to negative allegations against them.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You can always count on people who have something to hide having weasel-like, evasive answers to hard questions being asked of them. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is universally insulting behavior across ANY culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

So my question is, why would a business owner who has nothing<\/em> to hide, who is genuinely providing an awesome service or product, engage in behavior common to the dirt bags of the world by giving brief, incomplete, and overly vague descriptions of what they’re selling that leave their perfect prospects saying, “Is that it?” or… “What are you not<\/em> telling me about this?”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Far too many people make offers as if the only person seeing their invitation to buy are die-hard loyal customers who have been buying from them for decades now and have no other options to choose from. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The last thing you want your perfect prospects thinking when looking at your offer is, “W.T.F? You must think I’m too dumb to see all the holes in your logic.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And this thought is the expression of someone being offended by you.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So let me ask you this…\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to assembling sales messages, articles, or content, what is your preference\u2026 long or short form?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next question\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Which do you use most often\u2026 long or short form?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We do what we get positive reinforcement for.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your knee-jerk response to both of these questions is \u201cshort form\u201d, I trust there are definitely some times when this works to your benefit. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find one of these instances on the list below which was assembled by the copywriting mentor Michel Fortin back in the early 2000\u2019s.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It was created for the purpose of pointing out when it is best to use short or long copy when selling a product<\/em>\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Convenience products:<\/strong> Fills an immediate need, low price, low thought, short copy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shopping products:<\/strong> A little higher priced, more thought and opportunity to \u201cshop around,\u201d a little longer copy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specialty products:<\/strong> With exotic goods, luxury cars, expensive jewelry, art, etcetera, longer copy is definitely needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unsought products:<\/strong> When people have never realized that their lives were incomplete without your product, get ready to write some lengthy copy.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When you analyze this list with the common sense part of your brain, I trust you will recognize the usefulness of these distinctions. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Your common sense should also<\/em> make the connection that these same considerations apply when you\u2019re seeking to enlighten another person with information OR\u2026 when you\u2019re seeking enlightenment from another person via an article or interview.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With content marketing being as popular as it is, this begs the questions of…<\/p>\n

Part 1<\/u>:<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Your Preference For Being Influenced?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Is This Preference Affecting How You Try To Influence Others? <\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve talked at length before about the importance of creating content that touches all four of the learning styles<\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But what I had never really considered was why<\/em>, as a consumer of content, I ignore some podcast interviews\u2026 and devote significant chunks of my life to ones produced by the likes of Tim Ferriss, Joe Rogan, Sam Harris, etc. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, I\u2019m aware of the lazy part of myself which likes not having to stop what I\u2019m doing every 10-30-60 minutes to keep going back to Pocket Casts to load up another podcast because the ones I\u2019ve listed above are all 2 to 3 hours long.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t until I listened to Sam Harris interviewing Shane Parrish of Farnam Street<\/a> fame for his massively popular Making Sense podcast<\/a> that I started to understand my bias for long-form interviews at a different level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a snippet of what Sam talked about in this conversation\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

HARRIS:<\/strong> There\u2019s a consequence of the long-form format<\/strong> (interviews) that I don\u2019t think people have really good intuitions about. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is a massive difference between having no time limit, where a conversation may last one hour and five minutes vs. a conversation strictly limited to 60 minutes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even the longest form radio or television is constrained. <\/span><\/p>\n

If, as an interviewer, you know you have to get through the questions you have in a limited amount of time, even if you have 60 minutes, which is generous, it changes the nature of the conversation from the very beginning.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PAUSE:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

At this point in the conversation Shane and Sam had already been talking for almost 80 minutes<\/em> and the podcast still had 42 minutes left. <\/span><\/p>\n

RESUME:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

HARRIS: <\/strong>Most people are UNAWARE of how what they hear on live television\/radio is the result of the unnatural time constraints<\/strong> through which every conversation is being forced.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Think about the talking heads appearing on news shows on channels like CNN where you know each person is fighting for their piece of an 8-minute slot. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is no way this can be an honest conversation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone feels compelled to get the pre-loaded volley of words out. These people say to themselves, \u201cI know I\u2019m going to feel terrible if I can\u2019t get this paragraph out. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Prepared statements get forced into the mic whether they make sense or not. <\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re like, \u201cI just gotta get this first fucking punch in, otherwise it\u2019s going to be a waste of my day.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So by definition you\u2019re not disposed to be truly responsive to the thing the other person said first. And there\u2019s just no time to be responsive to anything that happens after that. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PAUSE:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

If there are multiple guests, 2-3 additional talking heads on the screen, urgency is heightened as these people are now in a frenzied rush to say their piece for fear that someone else will say it first or\u2026 that someone else is going to hog up all the time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s get back to finish the point Sam is making\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

RESUME:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

The whole goal is to not<\/em> put your foot in your mouth and to say something that is useful to the topic you thought you already understood perfectly when you went on the show. <\/span><\/p>\n

It can never be a conversation because there is no room to breathe.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

From the viewer\u2019s point of view, that is rarely salient. Even for me. I see one person talk. Then I see another person talk. That\u2019s what he thinks. That\u2019s what she thinks. <\/span><\/p>\n

It should be no surprise that they didn\u2019t persuade each other at all. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re on the opposite sides of this question and they were picked to be on the opposite sides, often as the extreme voices on an issue that omits the common ground for most of the people, most of the time. <\/span><\/p>\n

It gives the false signal of antagonism<\/em> and the impossibility of resolution<\/em> on various topics. <\/span><\/p>\n

And we keep advertising this impossibility to ourselves, saying something like, \u201cThere\u2019s no way to figure out immigration.” <\/span>It\u2019s impossible to talk about. You\u2019re either a racist asshole or an open borders lunatic. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you come into an interview with someone and you tell them you need a 3-5 hour time slot and that the conversation “might go 5 hours or it might go for 45 minutes, we\u2019ll see where it goes” the person being interviewed comes in with a different mentality. <\/span><\/p>\n

Non-live, longer-form interviews are more ethical.<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PAUSE:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This makes me think of how a person’s sexual dysfunction\/inability to orgasm with lovers related to performance anxiety can be virtually non-existent while masturbating behind locked door in their home when they know they’ve got the place entirely to themselves for the weekend. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a person doesn\u2019t feel rushed to perform at their best… RIGHT NOW, THIS VERY SECOND… this frees up the mental bandwidth needed in order for them to relax, listen, appreciate, and articulate.<\/span><\/p>\n

When more time is available they also have the space to more fully unpack their argument in a way that ensures they won\u2019t be misunderstood. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is totally different scenario than all the other interviews they\u2019ve participated in where as soon as the clock strikes X their mic is turned off and they\u2019re getting pushed out the door. <\/span><\/p>\n

In short form interviews, you can feel both the questions and answers being compressed as both parties watch the timer ticking down. <\/span><\/p>\n

The answers especially get shorter as you get closer to the 00:00 mark. <\/span><\/p>\n

Curiosity gets killed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Spontaneity gets killed. <\/span><\/p>\n

The silence and patient pauses that allow a person to go beyond a surface level answer and say something meaningful as it occurs to them get erased by this HURRY THE FUCK UP discussion model. <\/span><\/p>\n

One strategy that can massively reduce paranoia in an interview is to NOT stream the conversation live. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When the interviewee knows this piece can be edited, they can relax knowing they can take their foot out of their mouth if need be. <\/span><\/p>\n

This can make all the difference in the world when you\u2019re going into a conversation where a debate is likely to occur.<\/strong> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is also a vastly<\/em> different scenario when the interviewer wants the BEST version of the other person\u2019s argument vs. the interviewer praying their sleight of mouth and yelling will get the interviewee fall on their face as they watch the clock creeping towards zero. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They celebrate off-screen or on social media like they\u2019ve won when in reality, the rigged format<\/em> is what is truly responsible for their \u201cvictory.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tons of not-dumb people freeze up when put on the spot. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is why introverts love having time to think and can very often express themselves better in writing. <\/span><\/p>\n

But most people are far MORE interested in being right<\/em> than they are in finding synergy and this need of theirs flips the switch that goes for blood whenever they feel attacked.<\/span><\/p>\n

The double-dipped-cream-dream for a loud extrovert with zero interest in finding solutions via synergy is to have the deck stacked in their favor in short-form live settings that play to their strengths. <\/span><\/p>\n

With there being no shortage of these settings, t<\/strong><\/span>here are a fuck ton of extroverts in the world who have mastered the art of getting their way via intimidation<\/em>. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Being bigger, meaner, sexier, more popular, more influential, wealthier, violent, etc. gives them an edge and they live for the opportunity to crush anyone who dares to challenge their perceived supremacy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whereas the introvert\u2019s super power lies in a well-thought out argument laid out on the page in a relaxed setting\u2026 the extroverted intimidator\u2019s strength is in getting in your face, raising their voice, threatening violence, demanding an immediate response to their attack right this very second, etc.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

The sole intention of their bum rush-style of communication is to get you flustered. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You being flustered is what tips the scales in their favor. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This means they have ZERO interest in arguing with a person who is not<\/em> in a bewildered or infuriated state of mind. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bullies of all shapes and sizes have no interest in fighting fair against someone who isn\u2019t afraid of them.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Look at it like this\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If anger was something that made people better, do you think athletes would work so hard to get under the skin of their opponent? Do you think lawyers would try to attack and frustrate witnesses under cross examination? Of course not. It is precisely because anger is blinding, because it makes us irrational, that one opponent uses it to undermine another.<\/span><\/p>\n

~Ryan Holliday – Author of ten books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, Conspiracy, and Stillness is the Key<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even if Sam Harris 100% disagrees with someone, even if it is someone he\u2019s bringing on his podcast to debate over their smearing his name in public, he STILL wants them to be happy with their argument.<\/strong><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

There is zero \u201cGOTCHA!\u201d motive from his end where he\u2019s deathly afraid of verbally knocking someone to the canvas\u2026 them having the chance to recover and coming back swinging at him. <\/span><\/p>\n

Telling the guest in advance that “if you say something you think they\u2019re going to regret, and you want a mulligan, that\u2019s fine” makes it so an entirely different person shows up. <\/span><\/p>\n

A natural conversation that is free to breathe can occur instead of a hurried ambush where many points are left unsaid. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s get back to conversation Sam is having with Shane and look at why Sam believes adversarial<\/em> print interviews<\/em> can also mangle the point a person is trying to make\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

RESUME: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Print interviews are the most hostile context in which to get your ideas out. (context here is for controversial topics)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They are always radically edited. And when raw transcripts are made available, all the junk fillers are left in\u2026 the uhhh\u2019s, uhhhm\u2019s, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hostile and verbatim which is a common lazy practice. <\/span><\/p>\n

If they don\u2019t agree with you, there\u2019s this massive \u201cGOTCHA\u201d component to it because they\u2019ll edit it down to the least charitable, yet actually accurate version of what you said. <\/span><\/p>\n

(Sam talks about reading an interview where a highly prominent magazine was interviewing an author for a new book he had coming out.)<\/span><\/p>\n

He says, \u201cThe whole purpose of this interview was to harm his reputation. There was no other reason to put this text into the world. It was not interesting. It was a failed interview. <\/span><\/p>\n

The author didn\u2019t have much to say on the topic that was being foisted on them but that was being amplified. The whole thing was edited to make them look like someone who hasn\u2019t thought deeply about the thing they were writing about. <\/span><\/p>\n

I guarantee you that 99% of the people who read this didn\u2019t understand the subtext which is that the prominent magazine decided to fuck this person over. <\/span><\/p>\n

The readers think, \u2018He doesn\u2019t have his game together. That was weird and awkward. It didn\u2019t make this person look good and I\u2019m not sure I want to read this book because they haven\u2019t really thought about this stuff deeply.\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

This is starkly unethical. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was clear to see that the author had an axe to grind. <\/span><\/p>\n

The framing and editing of the piece was calculated in a way to make the person look like a dunce on the topic they had just written a book on.\u201d <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here\u2019s the thing \u2013 In the example above, the author may very well speak beautifully to these interview questions being posed to them in their book\u2026 and yet the author could easily be one of those people who is hardly their best self when verbally challenged in a time-sensitive setting. <\/span><\/p>\n

If this is the case or, even if it isn\u2019t, if you don\u2019t read the book, the odds are high that you\u2019re not going to see this author\u2019s thinking at its best. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A goal worthy of striving for in life in life is to postpone judgment until you feel you’ve seen\/heard the other person’s argument in it’s best form.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By not<\/em> doing so, you’re left making an estimation based on seeing this person operating as the least compelling version of themselves\u2026 and if that wasn\u2019t bad enough\u2026 if the person doing the interview has an adversarial agenda, you\u2019re not even getting the full picture due to biased editing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beware The Agendas Being Presented To You<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As a consumer, I trust it is easy to see how critically important it is for you to fully appreciate the lens through which a perspective is being presented.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is crucial to get the full picture rather than rely on sound bites and agenda-driven, selectively edited information when it comes to topics of severe consequence to your life.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I mean, who cares if you\u2019re not getting the full picture of a Hollywood actor who is being interviewed as part of the promotion tour for an upcoming comedy movie they\u2019re starring in. <\/span><\/p>\n

But think about how this is a completely different scenario when a copywriter is trying to sell you on buying from a \u201cbusiness advice guru.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Or\u2026 when you\u2019re trying to sell yourself to an audience of your perfect prospects or… a potential business partner. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Or\u2026 when you\u2019ve agreed to be interviewed by someone for a podcast or an article. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to non-adversarial conversations, open-ended formats are better suited for learning more about the other person; how they really think, hearing better stories, more stories, and high-quality answers to big questions.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You need to be fully conscious of how your audience could interpret the way you\u2019re presenting yourself or being presented by someone else. <\/span><\/p>\n

You have to know when a specific kind of interview with a certain person is not<\/em> going to do you any favors. <\/span><\/p>\n

You also want to recognize that bowling with the bumpers on i.e. only playing the short-form interview intimidation game is going to look weak to anyone who is a critical thinker. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s look deeper at this question related to\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 2<\/u>: Influencing Outcomes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What Is The Length of Copy \/Content That Allows You To Have Profitable Conversations?<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We both know that just blabbing to blab for extended periods of time in any conversational context is actually counterproductive.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And conversely, we know that not<\/em> making enough of the right points can be equally as counterproductive.<\/span><\/p>\n

We dread the idea of being thought of as a waste of time and we yearn to be held up as a person who brings value to those who give us their attention.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This creates a paradox in our\u00a0 minds that makes us afraid to ask for 3 hours of an important person’s time for an interview… and fearful that people will judge our snack-sized content\/marketing we put out for fear or content will be seen as nothing but fluff or is pitch riddled with holes.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When you realize this, it makes more sense to focus on<\/em> what you\u2019re trying to accomplish<\/em> with your conversation<\/em> than it does on fixating on \u201cLong\u201d or \u201cShort\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

Look at this snippet from this post<\/a> where Copyblogger is quoting Bob Bly\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Bob Bly says that the length of your copy will depend on three things:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Product:<\/strong> the more features and benefits a product has, the longer the copy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Audience:<\/strong> Certain people want as much information as they can get before making a purchase. This is especially true of people on the Internet, and especially true with information products.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Purpose:<\/strong> What\u2019s the goal? Generating a lead for a service business requires less detail, but an ad that aims to make a sale must overcome every objection the potential buyer may have.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So when it comes to making any kind of selling argument, in my mind, it makes sense to ask yourself\u2026 \u201cHave I presented all the features and benefits of what I\u2019m proposing?\u201d and \u201cHave I proven every claim I\u2019ve made beyond the shadow of doubt?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

If the answer is, \u201cYes,\u201d to both questions then this<\/em> is when you\u2019re done. <\/span><\/p>\n

If not<\/em>, then more copy needs to be added to fill in any holes still remaining in reference to those two questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to AUDIENCE, I think that no matter what you\u2019re selling or teaching, you want to address the four learning styles\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT you\u2019re presenting and the theory\/science\/rational behind it\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

WHY it is important for a person to know\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

HOW-TO RECIPES for getting a result and\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT TO DO NOW in order to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to PURPOSE, obviously the HOW-TO part of the steps above is going to be different in Lead Generation or a sales letter than it is in within an article, book, or a live training. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re strictly teasing, this is where you\u2019re letting people know that behind closed doors there is an actual recipe that leads you to specific, measurable, and verifiable results. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the training itself is where you\u2019re laying out the recipe step-by-step. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now here\u2019s a question you might be asking\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Does \u201cGenerating a Lead Requires Less Detail<\/em>\u201d Mean \u201cShort Copy\u201d Is The Only Copy You Use For This Task?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For the person who is in LOVE with the idea of using short copy, they read Bob\u2019s advice above and say, \u201cSEE! Short lead gen landing pages, 1,000 word articles, 3-5 minute videos, 5-10-30 minute podcasts are all you need!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But for me, \u201cLess Detail\u201d doesn\u2019t automatically mean \u201cShort Form.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The rule of thumb when it comes to length of lead generation content is to NOT bog down the conversion. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Artful lead generation is a string of ideas surrounding the service or product that excite the perfect prospect\u2026 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A sales letter\/video or an in-person pitch is you convincing the perfect prospect that you have something that can bring this string of exciting ideas you\u2019re talking about to life for them.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And yes, in either of these instances TOO much detail can derail a person\u2019s excitement.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But NOT ENOUGH meaningful detail can scare the lead off like an animal who looks and sniffs around at a potential source of food, gets the sense that what\u2019s there isn\u2019t worth the hassle of pursuing it any further, and scampers off to find something more familiar\/enticing. <\/span><\/p>\n

And of course, not enough of the right details in a sales letter can send a prospect searching for someone else to hand their money to. <\/span><\/p>\n

And this is why you need to always be testing for what the market feels<\/em> is that Goldilocks spot of \u201cJust Right\u201d relative to what it is you\u2019re selling. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here is the key to finding the Goldilocks spot\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Work Harder Than The Average Bear To Find Intriguing Subjects and Solutions Your Perfect Prospect Are Interested In <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Up until today, I didn\u2019t fully appreciate why I love Costco, a mega warehouse store here in the States. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s just a store to buy shit in bulk, right? <\/span><\/p>\n

Did I only like it because it offered great prices on mega-sized boxes of shit? <\/span><\/p>\n

Nope. <\/span><\/p>\n

It turns out that this article<\/a> on Wirecutter spelled out exactly<\/u> why I\u2019ve loved Costco for decades now\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Costco is able to offer great deals in part because it has a minimal marketing budget and focuses on buying a very small selection of items in bulk. Costco<\/strong> carries \u201cbetween 3,700 and 3,800 items<\/strong>,\u201d according to this CNBC article, while Walmart<\/strong>, in contrast, carries an average of 142,000 items<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

And unlike most big retailers, the company earns 2 percent of its revenue from membership fees<\/strong> (which start at $60 a year). According to the company\u2019s annual report (PDF), Costco made $3.1 billion in membership fees <\/strong>for fiscal year 2018, with 90 percent renewal rates<\/strong> in the US and Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

Costco has good reason to curate only the best. <\/span><\/p>\n

Its warehouses don\u2019t have a lot of space for options, especially when it\u2019s trying to sell everything from potstickers to HVAC systems. <\/span><\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Costco\u2019s generous return policy\u2014you can return pretty much anything at any time if you\u2019re dissatisfied (as long as you don\u2019t abuse that policy). The exceptions are electronics and appliances, which usually have only a 90-day return policy. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s in Costco\u2019s best interest to offer high-quality choices that people won\u2019t want to return.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Immaculate curation of the most interesting and best quality products the market is interested in. <\/span><\/p>\n

THAT has been the secret to Costco\u2019s success. <\/span><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t try to compete with Wal-Mart by selling 142,000 items. <\/span><\/p>\n

They narrow their focus to 3,700 items that are HOT. <\/span><\/p>\n

And by doing this\u2026 they\u2019ve set up a situation where people happily paid them $3.1 Billion dollars in 2018 to even be allowed to walk into their store and buy their stuff.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

This is an example of how separating yourself from the herd can give you a special place in the hearts of the market. <\/span><\/p>\n

But how do you do this with content, marketing, and advertising? <\/span><\/p>\n

Asking The Right Questions Is The Key To Finding Ideas That Are Worthy of Attention <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As of the time I am writing this, Agora Financial is kicking the shit out of their competitors in the investment newsletter niche. <\/span><\/p>\n

They have been for many years now. <\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re The Incredible Billion-Dollar Hulk\u2026 and everyone else is a mere human. <\/span><\/p>\n

And they absolutely DOMINATE their niche with intriguing long copy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Listen to what the famed founder of Agora, Bill Bonner, credits this to\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally and normally, most people spend most of their time in the comfortable and familiar embrace of the ordinary. <\/span><\/p>\n

Floods that last for 40 days and 40 nights, fire and brimstone, market crashes, or world wars rarely bother them. <\/span><\/p>\n

They watch television. They read the newspaper. Except when they are entertained by ‘War of the Worlds’ style fantasies, nothing in their usual media disturbs their sleep. <\/span><\/p>\n

But in some part of their brain, they know that the future may not go so smoothly and predictably.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

They know that sometimes things go terribly wrong or wonderfully right. People really do lose all their money\u2026 or make 1,000% profit. <\/span><\/p>\n

It happens, just not very often.<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And while they believe that it probably won’t happen \u2013 why should it?; it is so extraordinary \u2013 they know it could happen to them. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They feel they shou1d at least consider it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Who knows, maybe they will get lucky and make 1,000% on their investments… or avoid a horrible loss?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Agora is in the business of exploring the ‘fat tails’ (non-mainstream information) for them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Our role, and our relationship with our customers, is not as a news provider. We do provide ‘news,’ but it is of a special sort; it is the news you find out on the extreme ends of the bell curve.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The usual news is delivered by the mainstream media in vast quantities. It’s the news that tells readers that the world is as they have imagined it.<\/p>\n

It’s the news that tells them that today will be much like yesterday and tomorrow will be much like today, <\/span><\/p>\n

It is like a mainstream economists’ projection for the year ahead; it is just what you’d expect.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are the alternative press. We present views, news, and ideas that are an alternative to those you find in the mainstream media.<\/span><\/p>\n

We recall the mid-1980s.<\/p>\n

Huge changes were taking place in the world \u2013 particularly in the Soviet Union and its satellite states. <\/span><\/p>\n

Our newsletter, Strategic Investment, predicted that the Soviet Union would fall apart and that the Berlin Wall would come down. <\/span><\/p>\n

We don’t recall a single mainstream magazine, newspaper, or TV station that saw it coming. But our newsletter editors had an idea about the way the world worked … and an opinion that was, at the time, way out on the extreme ‘fat tails’ of the bell curve.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Likewise, in the 1990s, a newsletter we published saw a revolution coming in American eating patterns.<\/p>\n

Dr. Robert Atkins said the diet recommended by the American medical establishment was unhealthy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of eating so much starch and sugar, Americans should eat more meat and fat, he said. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the time, this view was far from the center of the bell curve. Instead, it was out in the fat tail area; Dr. Atkins was labeled a ‘nut’ for having such a kooky opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Atkins did not live to see it, but the New York Times eventually came around to seeing things his way \u2013 about 10 years later.<\/p>\n

This does not mean that our newsletters, emails, books and other publications are always ‘way out there,’ nor that they are always right. <\/span><\/p>\n

But what we publish is distinctly, tenaciously not mainstream.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

We charge some of the highest prices per-word in the entire industry. People do not need to pay those prices to find out what everyone else thinks. They can get the mainstream view much more cheaply.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

They pay our prices because they value the ‘fat tail’ opinion, the research and the recommendations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Investors, for example, are not likely to make more than 3% to 5% on their money. <\/span><\/p>\n

That is the average return of mainstream investors over hundreds of years. But our editors and researchers work hard to find ways that they could make much more. <\/span><\/p>\n

That’s why our financial advertising seems so daring or ‘in your face’ to many people. <\/span><\/p>\n

It offers readers a chance to do something that most people know is unlikely. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most investors will continue to make 3% to 5% on their money. Only a few will do better \u2013 by taking a bet on a ‘fat tail\u2019 event.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These are but two of the most important counter-intuitive, yet common-sense ideas that allowed Agora to distinguish themselves in the eyes of their market over the decades they\u2019ve been in business. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bill Bonner knew that if they just showed up saying what everyone was saying, \u201cNew Investment Opportunity Shows You How To Safely Get 5% on Your Money\u201d they would sound just like the establishment that this audience does not trust.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, he also knew that the last thing they wanted to do was to sound like hypey scam artists when they are making what sound like wild ass predictions coming way out of left field. <\/span><\/p>\n

He knew that proving these \u201cNon-Mainstream Prediction\u201d ideas were legitimate could NOT be done with short copy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And you can bet that there are some razor-sharp experts out there who find hidden, counter-intuitive investment opportunities but are clueless as to how to sell that advice to a 71-year-old male who has been burned by the mainstream market strategies multiple times. <\/span><\/p>\n

The reason why Agora dominates this field is they\u2019ve figured out how to educate their perfect prospects with long form copy in both their selling and their content in a way that makes prospects and customers feel safe and smart.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Are You Cheating People Out Of Buying From You Because You Don\u2019t Pique Their Curiosity With Intriguing Conversation That Gets Them Excited About Buying From You?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What follows is an example that is not all that uncommon\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

It is almost the norm for people who sell something that is complex to create either feel like \u201cmarketing\/advertising\u201d is beneath them or\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026they embrace the idea of “nothing happens without marketing or advertising or selling” and they\u2019re just clueless as to how to talk about their stuff in way that doesn’t make them seem like a pretentious dickhead. <\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cexperts\u201d who hate marketing\/advertising feel that the work should speak for itself… essentially believing people should be beating their door down to get it without them having to do anything but create the products or service. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the result of feeling this way, these people often go with a cutesy, artsy, or a deadly dull\/dry approach to presenting what they have.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cexperts\u201d who have no qualms with advertising\/marketing take the same approach for fear of doing it wrong or<\/span>\u2026 for fear of doing something different than the herd.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a massive difference between short, sweet, and ruthlessly potent by elegant design<\/em>\u2026 and short because you don\u2019t know what to say or… because you see advertising as something akin to cleaning your bathroom \u2013 something you don\u2019t want to do… that should be executed by someone who is beneath your pay grade.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until today that I\u2019d given any consideration as to how a Michelin Star chef who offered a menu that wasn\u2019t cheap but was far from being extravagantly priced relative to the quality of the ingredients and the elaborate preparation strategies used… would deal with this \u201cshort vs. long\u201d dilemma.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a huge fan of \u201cThe Dave Chang Show\u201d Podcast hosted by David Chang<\/a>\u2026 the man who has had his restaurant Momofuku awarded two Michelin stars in 2009, which it has retained each year since, who now has restaurants in LA, New York City, DC, Las Vegas, Sydney, and Toronto. <\/span><\/p>\n

My Pocket Casts account is a VAST array of topics that span from sex, comedy, sports, marketing, food, history, psychology, nutrition, and much more, for whatever reason, I opened up today, went to Dave\u2019s podcast and I downloaded\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur Own Worst Critics, Vol 1.: Joshua Skenes of Angler LA<\/a>\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the quick description of this episode\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

After the highly anticipated launch of Angler<\/a> in Los Angeles, Dave sits down with its chef and founder, Joshua Skenes, to assess for themselves the second outpost of the Michelin-starred seafood restaurant.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was not your traditional \u201ctwo friendly chefs sucking each other\u2019s dicks\u201d conversation as one might expect from a Chef podcast talking about a new restaurant opening<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, this was a conversation where David is beating up on Josh, pressing him with hard questions Josh didn\u2019t want to think about. <\/span><\/p>\n

(He did something similar for Christina Tosi of Milk Bar fame<\/a>.) <\/span><\/p>\n

David had ZERO negative feedback on the food or the service or the d\u00e9cor of the restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, David raved about all of the above. <\/span><\/p>\n

So what the hell was he criticizing?<\/span><\/p>\n

Answer:<\/strong> Josh\u2019s marketing.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

David and Josh are friends and this is one of the reasons why David wanted to push Josh in a way that NOBODY else in this industry would. <\/span><\/p>\n

What was incredibly refreshing to hear in this interview is BOTH of these chefs being open to the possibility of longer-form marketing being better.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here is David\u2019s biggest criticism of what Josh is doing at his restaurant\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s going through elaborate, 3-Michelin-Star gyrations to prepare his affordably-priced food\u2026 AND HE IS NOT even being appreciated for it by the customer because Josh is clueless as to how to educate the diner on what a herculean effort it is taking to produce the food being presented to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is an invaluable snippet that comes forth 1 HOUR AND 44 MINUTES INTO THE INTERVIEW WITH 40 MINUTES STILL LEFT\u2026 (LONG FORM WINS AGAIN)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> \u201cCaesar Salad, delicious. Was it a normal Caesar Salad?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> No, it\u2019s not. Is any of it normal (referring to his menu)? None of its \u2018normal\u2019? <\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> What is in your Caesar Salad? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Chicory, Spanish anchovies (less salty, more anchovy flavor), that\u2019s my compromise. If I do California<\/em> Anchovies, that\u2019s 3,000 anchovies that I have to dry and salt and smoke and all that shit. I made a compromise and bought the best anchovies on the market instead of making my own. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> (Jokingly says) What a sell-out (hahaha)\u2026 what a fucking sell-out\u2026 you have no integrity whatsoever.<\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Bread crumbs are made out of Chad\u2019s bread from Tartine<\/a> (one of the best bakeries in the nation). <\/span><\/p>\n

The Parmesan is just a 6 out of 10 Parmesan.<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what pisses me off? When people don\u2019t understand a Californian Caesar. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> What is a Californian Caesar? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> It\u2019s the old Chez Pannise Caesar. You throw some anchovies and some garlic in a mortar and pestle, throw a good egg yolk in there and some good olive oil\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> Why are you throwing it in a mortar and pestle, chef? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Tastes better. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> Why? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Tastes better. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> Why? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> You are basically extracting those oils and flavors from the product instead of warming them and beating them in a blender. Tastes different. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody is gonna notice that. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> But they do. <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Some people do. The rewarding part of having a place that is successful but also when people will say, \u201cI really appreciate the real Caesar dressing. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> It was delicious. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Radicchio (Radicchio is a perennial cultivated form of leaf chicory<\/strong> sometimes known as Italian chicory because of its common use in Italian cuisine)<\/em> has become a very famous dish \u2013 probably the most photographed salad in the past year.<\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> Yeah, radicchio is bitter, right, but the dressing balances it out. But I didn\u2019t know if people were really going to order the dish because its a little esoteric. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s leaves of radicchio and there\u2019s two components to the dressing. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s the vinaigrette itself and there\u2019s a radicchio X.O.. The vinaigrette itself is made out of vegetables, vegetable juice, vinegar\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> What vegetables? <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> There\u2019s beet, radicchio leaves \u2013 all the broken, fucked up pieces of the radicchio and just good vinegar and that\u2019s it. That\u2019s your base and obviously we process it a certain way. <\/span><\/p>\n

But then there\u2019s the radicchio X.O. which is all the big outside leaves. We dry those above the fire with garlic and shallots and those basically age above the fire on a rack system I\u2019ve built up here. <\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of a couple of days, it takes on a different flavor. It\u2019s deeper and the flavor becomes sweeter and that\u2019s our X.O.. It\u2019s an aged X.O. and that\u2019s crushed up\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> There\u2019s nothing simple about it though\u2026 having had that dish. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been looking at it. It\u2019s the first time I had it. When I tasted it I thought that this is insanely smart and genius level shit because you took radicchio, which you ordinarily have to have an acquired taste for, and you judo-moved the bitterness. <\/span><\/p>\n

You made it a desirable trait because of the vinaigrette. <\/span><\/p>\n

The smoke<\/em> is what actually makes it work because it masks the bitterness just enough. You brought two to the table and I kept on eating it and I\u2019m like, \u2018Motherfucker<\/em> that\u2019s so<\/em> difficult to do.\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just because it looks good. <\/span><\/p>\n

The ability to execute that is incredibly hard. It\u2019s INCREDIBLY hard and I don\u2019t give a shit if everyone has that recipe. <\/span><\/p>\n

Do you know why no one will make it? No one can get the smoke.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s an impossibility for people to copy. <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> I\u2019ve never thought about it that way. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> 100%. Who the fuck is going to copy that dish? You can\u2019t. It\u2019s impossible to get the right smoke. You figured out the perfect balance for smoke\u2026 is a smoke that is barely<\/em> noticeable\u2026 but it\u2019s just<\/em> enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> The right amount of smoke is NOT smoke-y. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> It\u2019s like having acid in a dish\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> It\u2019s like three drops of lemon in a sauce\u2026 you\u2019re not supposed to taste the lemon. <\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> It\u2019s like bass in a band, you\u2019re not really supposed to hear it. <\/span><\/p>\n

But you did it and that\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to tell you\u2026 when you said you can\u2019t tell people, you need to tell people.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

When I taste that dish, for me, that\u2019s a lifetime\u2019s worth of work to get that dish because it\u2019s a balance of tricking the brain to like the smoke and the sweetness and the acidity and the bitterness. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a perfect fucking bite of food. It really is. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason why people love it.<\/strong> It\u2019s because it\u2019s as close to a 10 of a dish that you could possibly have. <\/span><\/p>\n

And that dish, symbolizes Angler better than anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll get into the vegetables, they were all delicious. I told you with the Hen of the Woods (Hen of the Woods is a large polypore tasting similar to eggplant), bro, it\u2019s too hard. Why are you making it that hard? <\/span><\/p>\n

I can tell it takes DAYS to make. <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> It just takes 8 hours \u2013 on the grill for like 6 hours slowly\u2026 with a buffalo mushroom sauce\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

CHANG:<\/strong> Insert sarcastic tone*<\/strong> Oh, it\u2019s so easy to make a buffalo sauce\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

SKENES:<\/strong> I try to oversimplify it because I always feel like a dickhead trying to explain why<\/em> everything is special\u2026\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What You Just Read Is A Prime Example of How \u201cShort Copy\u201d Can Do a Disservice To a Masterful Product<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Skenes is one of the most innovative and respected chefs on the face of this planet. This is a FACT. <\/span><\/p>\n

You see Chang calling Skenes out for cheating himself by only devoting his creativity to that of creating dishes\u2026 and acting helpless when it comes to creatively educating his perfect prospects on why his dishes are \u201cthe perfect bite of food.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to assembling world-class dishes he sees himself as an innovative titan. When it comes to selling them, he is drawing blanks. <\/span><\/p>\n

He is not alone. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re masterful when it comes to creating products\/delivering services but not good at selling them, you<\/em> are not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

One natural reason for this is that we all like to do what we\u2019re good at\u2026 and we all want to avoid shit that we don\u2019t think we\u2019re good at. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hence the reason the chef is willing to risk putting their world class creations in the limelight\u2026 but feels resistant when it\u2019s time to put their marketing hat on and assemble words that sell.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t need to be \u201cThe Greatest on Earth\u201d at marketing in order to be \u201cgood enough\u201d at educating your perfect prospects in a way that helps your incredible offerings be appreciated 10X more than what they are now. <\/span><\/p>\n

In order to be stumped by the question of \u201cWhy are not doing a better job of selling your amazing offerings?\u201d, you have to be asking yourself a poor quality of question like\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do I have to do this? The product should speak for itself.\u201d<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

Or\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will my peers think of me if I don\u2019t make my words look \u201crespectable\u201d and \u201crefined\u201d like theirs?\u201d<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

Neither of these questions are rooted in empathy for the perfect prospect. <\/span><\/p>\n

And it should be no surprise that the answers to questions like these reflect this and make the business owner seem as if they\u2019re oblivious to the customer.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Questions ARE THE ANSWER<\/strong><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

I just finished taking 70+ pages of notes on the 22+ hours of content that is Agora Financial Copy School System. <\/span><\/p>\n

The reason I went through this exercise is because A) I don\u2019t pretend that I know it all\u2026 B) nor do I think myself above a refresher course on the fundamentals of the skills that pay my bills. <\/span><\/p>\n

Agora is the 800-pound gorilla in a billion-dollar newsletter subscription niche where words are what they rely on to stay insanely profitable. <\/span><\/p>\n

What they deemed to be the single most important part of the training was the section where they talked about developing compelling Big Ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is The Compelling Big Idea?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A big idea is a premise that is INSTANTLY appreciated and deemed to be important, exciting, and beneficial to the perfect prospect. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

It always leads the perfect prospect to a conclusion that makes interested in buying what you\u2019re selling AND makes it easy for you to talk about it in an interesting way. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

This is the most important session of the training.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a set of questions they encourage you to ask in this training that can help you generate this big idea in the first place\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Ordinary Approach To Coming Up With a Marketing Idea <\/strong><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the product?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Who is the editor or personality behind the offer?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

3. What is the actual investment(s) or strategy, and\/or premium set?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

4. What is the broadest category you can compare this opportunity?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Most people will only ask themselves some variation of the first two of these four questions\u2026 a bare-bones description of what it is and who is offering it. <\/span><\/p>\n

But when you ask these questions along with the following eight questions, you expand the potential to come up with something tantalizing\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Extraordinary Approach To Coming Up With a Marketing Idea<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Include all four questions above and then enhance<\/i> your efforts by asking these ones\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

5. What is the most compelling thing about the editor\/personality that conveys instant credibility?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

6. Who else has used this investment\/strategy, or a similar related situation, that you can use for instant credibility?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

7. What is your most compelling historical proof this investment\/strategy will make a lot of money, fast?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

8. What is the most extreme but believable money-making promise can you make?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

9. Why does the reader need to act now? Is there a catalyst you can find with real dates? What urgent problem does your offer solve?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

10. Can you create a powerful, tangible or visual metaphor (or name) to describe this opportunity?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

11. What makes this different from any other offers in the related broad category?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

12. What is the most compelling product feature (or reason why) the promised outcome is near inevitable, and can you invent a name for this mechanism?<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you look at these questions and you\u2019re saying, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing special about these questions. There is some variation of these questions in even the most basic of copywriting courses I\u2019ve gone through\u201d\u2026 you would be right. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is nothing new under the sun. <\/span><\/p>\n

This sequence of questions is hardly a rare revelation. <\/span><\/p>\n

When you read them, a part of you can say, \u201cYeah, it\u2019s plain common sense that asking questions that flesh out meaningful benefits and proof would supply you with a better description of what you\u2019re offering.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But what is rare is the people who A) Know to ask these questions in the first place and B) Are willing to ask them and answer them thoughtfully.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, take for instance Josh Skenes. <\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t imagine he\u2019s ever gone through a copywriting or marketing course a<\/span>nd yet his dining innovations allowed him to reach the pinnacle of his profession. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is every business owner\/artist’s wet dream \u2013 \u201cMy work\u2019s supremacy sells itself\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Josh\u2019s case, when it comes to this Big Idea concept, it\u2019s a question of \u201cHow high is high?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

“How much more successful could I be if explained my dishes\/processes better?” or, \u201cAm I giving a beyond average level of education to my diners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The high failure rate statistics of new businesses tells you that there are many business owners who don\u2019t have the luxury of being able to succeed in spite of NOT mastering the art of marketing what they offer. <\/span><\/p>\n

And one of the commonalities of people who struggle to sell is that they don\u2019t look for the common sense questions to ask that make it easy to say something compelling.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Breathing Life Into The Bland | A<\/span> Thought Exercise<\/span><\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chefs make a living by transforming bland\/boring ingredients into something exponentially more tasty. <\/span><\/p>\n

Michelin star chefs pride themselves on being able to turn $100 dollars worth of ingredients into something people happily pay $300 dollars for. <\/span><\/p>\n

This idea of turning nothing into something with the help of creativity is not completely foreign to them. <\/span><\/p>\n

So for the sake of example, we\u2019ll ask the Big Idea questions from above for the famous Angler radicchio salad.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to look at how we can take incomplete, one-liner descriptions of dishes that the menu offer and brief descriptions often given by waiters like, \u201cIt\u2019s delicious\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s a very popular dish\u201d and see if we can use this template to do this dish the justice it deserves. <\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll do this based on that little snippet of the interview I included here and five-minutes worth of research on the internet\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Ordinary Idea Template<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the product?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Radicchio with Radicchio X.O.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s how it reads on Angler\u2019s sleek menu as of the day I\u2019m writing this. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRadicchio leaves with pieces of charred radicchio mixed with aged garlic and shallots.\u201d is what the waiter may add to that description if asked.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Who is the editor or personality behind the offer?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The owner is Chef Josh Skenes.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. What is the actual investment(s) or strategy, and\/or premium set?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a question that more so applies to selling information where you\u2019re selling something like an Option Trading system that comes with a bunch of bonus reports.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Since this restaurant offers no \u201cFree toy\u201d with your happy meal premium\/bonus or “2 for $5 dollar” specials, this question doesn’t apply. <\/span><\/p>\n

4. What is the broadest category you can compare this opportunity?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

While raving about the restaurant, The New York Times said this about the salad\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

A raw radicchio, served whole, is drenched in an extraordinary, messy dressing so that when you carve into it, it looks like something fresh and bloody and still alive.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This, or parts of what\u00a0 Food and Wine.com<\/a> said about it<\/span> might be as much of an answer to this question as you\u2019d get from a busy ass waiter\u2026 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All this said, one of the most memorable dishes I ate at Angler was neither seafood nor meat. It was a plate of radicchio. I guess you could call this thing a salad, but the dish splashes and gushes in a way that resembles blood. That\u2019s why you get a bib when you order it. The radicchio is topped with a combination of reduced beet juice, soy sauce, shallots, and garlic that magically creates something like the flavor and texture of XO sauce without any dried seafood or pork.<\/span> Bar director Brandyn Tepper smiled as he looked at our table and said that the dish comes with \u201ca huge mess.\u201d<\/span> The mess seems like a vital ingredient.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first three of these basic answers give you a rough description of the salad. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The answers I inserted for the fourth one are embellished as they are from the minds of food critics – people who actually get paid to colorfully describe things. <\/span><\/p>\n

But as I mentioned earlier, I think it\u2019d be safe to say that the waiters would at least give you the highlighted text above if a customer were to ask what is in this salad. <\/span><\/p>\n

What these four questions fail to deliver on is the compelling story that excited David Chang when talking with Josh about this dish. <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see if some quick answers to the questions that follow can be used to shift any responses of\u2026 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Uhhh… Sounds weird… No thanks\u2026\u2019 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

to\u2026 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018OH SHIT<\/em>! HELL YEAH, GIVE ME THAT<\/em>!\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Extended Idea Template<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

5. What is the most compelling thing about the editor\/personality that conveys instant credibility?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From Joshua\u2019s personal site<\/a>\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Acclaimed Chef Joshua Skenes conceived the much-lauded Saison in 2006 and opened its first location in 2009. He is best known for his unique methodology, innovations in fire cooking, and relentless pursuit of the very best products in existence. Skenes is the first and only chef to garner 3-Michelin stars cooking entirely over open fire.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

6. Who else has used this investment\/strategy, or a similar related situation, that you can use for instant credibility?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is where you\u2019d look for examples of people converting a previously undesired food into something insanely popular…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink about the 16th century when the Spanish observed the Central American peoples infatuation with cacao and how they consumed it in its bitter form as a drink. The Spanish took it back to Spain and nobody was excited about it until they started adding in sugar or honey to mask the bitterness. That\u2019s the story of how chocolate went from being something disgusting\u2026 to being a billion dollar junk food industry. This example sheds some light on what Chef Skenes figured out when it comes to masking the bitterness of radicchio.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

7. What is your most compelling historical proof this investment\/strategy will make a lot of money, fast?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

So, again, not a money-making pitch but nevertheless, we need proof that we\u2019re not just some smooth-talking waiter who is trying to get you to gamble on some abnormal sounding dish that looks gross.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where you could point to the headlines of the most famous reviews of the dish\u2026 New York Times said this about it\u2026 Food and Wine said this about it\u2026 David Chang said this about it\u2026 etc. etc. etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. What is the most extreme but believable money-making promise can you make?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Again, not a money-making pitch but as the owner and waiter you are still tasked with getting the customer to believe that buying this extreme dish is a good idea. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is where you could say that not one single person has ever sent this dish back OR\u2026 if that isn\u2019t the case\u2026 how out of the 11,004 of these salads sold to date\u2026 only 3 people have not liked it and asked for it to be sent back. <\/span><\/p>\n

And if your numbers are impress enough, you could say something along the lines of, \u201cOver 96.3% of our repeat customers, order this salad again after trying it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

9. Why does the reader need to act now? Is there a catalyst you can find with real dates? What urgent problem does your offer solve?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Most restaurants have a never ending tub of chopped lettuce and bottles of generic dressing on hand. They’re never going to sell out of their “salads.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

But there is a ton of labor and artistry that goes into producing these salads so it makes sense that there would be limited supply of them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, if it is not uncommon for you sell out of these salads, this would be the place where you would mention this fact. <\/span><\/p>\n

Along with the practical value, there might also be marketing value in only prepping to serve a certain number of them per day.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10. Can you create a powerful, tangible or visual metaphor (or name) to describe this opportunity?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You could liken Josh\u2019s \u201cOpen Fire Mastery\u201d to how you can take a nasty ass bitter can of Hershey\u2019s cacao like this\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n