Not rocket science, but it’s always nice to see quantifiable data in support of a concept that seems to be common sense.  Especially since (in my experience) many leaders could do more to employ this “common sense” when dealing with their teams…

     The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, took a team of fundraising solicitors working at a University and split them into three groups. 

     The first group was asked to read stories from other employees describing personal benefits to the job, like compensation and health insurance.  We’ll call this group the “Personal Benefits” group.

      The second group read stories from University donors describing the benefits of their donations to scholarship recipients, users of new equipment (bought with donor money)…  We’ll call this group the “Task Significant” group.

     The third group acted as a control and received no outside intervention or stories of any kind.

     According to Noah Goldstein, who wrote an article about the study for the Inside Influence Report, the results were “amazing.”

     Participants in the Personal Benefit and Control groups raised the same amount of money as they had before the intervention.

     Participants in the Task Significant group earned more than twice the amount of weekly pledges (an average of 9 to an average of 23) than before the intervention.  Even more impressive, they also raised more than twice the dollar amount of weekly pledges (an average of $1,228 to an average of $3,130)!

     This study demonstrates what many leaders have known for some time now – that infusing a task with purpose can improve employee performance.  And this isn’t limited to business either.

     In fact, one could argue that the United States would still be a British Colony if it weren’t for task benefit motivation.  I mean, who knows, perhaps we never would have made it to the moon if Kennedy hadn’t codified our nation around a shared purpose (to win the space race).

     A while back I shared a story that illustrates the power of a task benefit outlook.  Here it is again:

                A man was walking through a rock quarry busy with workers excavating stone.  The man went up to one of the workers and asked, “What are you doing?”

                The worker responded with contempt, “I’m breaking my back to break these stones!”

                So the man went up to a second worker and asked the same question.

               Exhausted, the second worker replied, “I’m breaking these stones to feed my family and put a roof over our heads.”

                Seeing that the two workers had very different perspectives on their jobs, the man asked a third worker the same question.

                The third worker looked at the man and, without hesitating, said with pride, “I’m building a cathedral.”

     Now which of these workers do you think got the most satisfaction out of their job?  Which do you think worked the hardest and made the fewest mistakes?  Of course, it was the third worker…

     Obviously infusing a task with purpose can help create an optimistic outlook among staff.  Why is that important?  Because happy workers… that have a clear vision of the impact their work will have… work harder, are accountable and provide innovative ideas and solutions.

     Creating a Task Significant outlook in your company is easy.  You need to do just three things.  I call it the GIVE™ Leadership Model.  Here are the cliff notes:

1)      Gain Investment – Your people aren’t going to automatically feel invested in the success or failure of your business.  And as you go lower and lower on your company totem pole you’ll notice a larger disconnect.  People become invested in what they help to create.  So instead of directing your employees, include them in the process.  Have them generate new ideas and tactics for furthering your company’s goals.  In doing so they’ll feel a personal connection to the success or failure of those ideas. 

2)      Validate  – At the end of the day, your employees all care about different things.  Some care about helping people, others care about changing the world (hopefully for the better) and others care about personal gains like making more money or being promoted.  Your job as a leader is to build a bridge between what an employee cares about, and your company goals.  Of course, this requires that you get to know your people (which I hope you’ve already done before reading this blog).  If an employee wants to help people, show them how your products do so.  If they want to make more money, show them how realizing team and company goals will help them do that.  

3)      Excite – A good definition of a leader is someone who, “so clearly communicates to people their worth and potential that they come to see it in themselves.”  I’d like to add that good leaders also communicate the purpose and function of their companies so clearly that employees adopt them as their own.  If you build houses, you need to clearly explain to your team that you’re putting a roof over a needy family’s head, providing a safe environment to raise a family or a creating a space for wonderful memories.  You’ve got to make the end game clear to employees so that they become excited about performing their specific roles.

     If you take nothing else away from the GIVE™ model, I hope it’s this:  Simply sharing your vision, however beautiful and inspiring, is not how to infuse purpose.  In fact, infuse is probably to wrong word.  The truth is… you can’t infuse anything.  All you can do is help your people find their own purpose.

     So instead of pouring your heart into a company manifesto or employee training program, just talk to your staff.  Find out what they care about and help them create their own “purpose.”

     Once everyone has created a unique and personal purpose, find the common thread that permeates them all.  Use that to develop a shared vision of what you’re doing and where you’re going.  Finally, connect what each employee cares about to that vision, and ultimately your company goals.

     And if you’re not sure whether or not your people have purpose and are inspired to succeed, there’s an easy way to find out.

     Go around to your receptionists, programmers, warehouse staff… and ask them to tell you what they do.  If you get responses like, “I answer the phone,” “I write code,” or “I pack boxes” there’s probably room for improvement.

     You’re heading in the right direction if you get responses like, “I’m helping our customers live pain free,” or “I’m building relationships with vendors and clients that call our office.”

      Because he’s a true master in using show don’t tell.  And put simply, this is one of the most important techniques in sales and marketing.

     In fact, I don’t think any other single tactic can have a more substantial impact on the success of your business.  I’ve literally seen companies go from $1M (annually) in sales to almost $12M simply by using show don’t tell…

     Malcolm uses the show don’t tell technique in all of his books.  He dedicates hundreds of pages to paint a picture with words – rather than just explaining the concept behind the book.

     For instance, in Blink he spends 254 pages slowly uncovering one very simple idea by providing example after example.  

     I could sum up the entire book in one sentence, “Sometimes intuition is stronger than logic when making decisions.”  Yup, it’s that easy… 

     But I doubt Malcolm’s publisher would have appreciated a one-sentence book.  So instead of explaining the idea, Malcolm shows readers what it’s all about.

     In one chapter, Malcolm writes about an experiment from scientists at the University of Iowa. In that experiment, the researchers present participants with four decks of cards – two red, and two blue. 

     Each card in the decks either wins the participant a sum of money or costs them money. What participants don’t know is that the red decks are stacked with cards that lose them a lot of money.  In fact, they could only win money by taking cards from the blue decks.

    So how long do you think it took for participants to realize that choosing from the red decks was a bad decision?

     The researchers found that after participants turned over about 50 cards, most of them started to realize what was going on.  After turning about 80 cards, they had figured out the game and could explain what was going on.

     Now here’s the interesting part… the scientists also hooked each participant up to a machine that measured stress responses (like sweaty palms). What they found was extraordinary. 

     The participants started generating stress responses to the red decks by the tenth card!  That’s 40 cards before they became consciously aware of what was going on.

     This experiment illustrates that the subconscious, intuition, snap judgments (whichever you prefer) are sometimes more powerful than logic. And the whole book is full of experiments, stories and examples like this one… all of them illustrating this one simple concept.

     Now let’s look at a real-world example of what I’m talking about.  And I don’t have to search hard to find one…

     In fact, every time I go to the gym it’s staring me in the face.  As soon as I come out of the locker room and into the gym I pass a table with fliers promoting membership.

     The fliers read:

• 5,000sq ft
• Kinesis Studio
• Private Pilates Studio
• Yoga Studio
• Group Fitness Classes

     Now that’s great, but none of these bullets have anything to do with why people join gyms.  

     An effective flyer would follow the show don’t tell rule and paint a picture (with words or using a real picture) of how the person would benefit from a gym membership. 

     Depending on the target market that could be something like… 

“Imagine waking up full of energy and optimism about the day ahead of you… You get out of bed, pet your dog and walk over to the bathroom. 

 As you brush your teeth you can’t help but stare at yourself in the mirror.  

The flabby under arms, tummy stretch marks and thunder thighs that plagued you for so many years are completely gone.  

All that remains is a chiseled, toned, beautiful body. 

Even better, the dark circles under your eyes have disappeared and you have more energy than you’ve ever had in your adult life.  

You look amazing and you feel energized and confident. 

The sense of personal accomplishment is overwhelming.  But the best part is the astonishment of your friends and family who haven’t seen you in a while. 

Hearing how great you look just never gets old…”

     THIS is how you market a gym.  A potential client can visualize this story.  It creates a mental image of what life will be like if they just join the gym.  That’s going to be more effective in getting people to join than “Kinesis studio.”

      Now it’s important to remember that the show don’t tell technique isn’t just for marketing copy.  You should use show don’t tell whether you’re pitching a client, selling a supplement, speaking in front of an audience… rallying support at a board meeting… 

     Here’s how to do it:

     First, I’m going to assume you’re selling something that you believe in (if not, please stop).  If you do believe in your product/service, this should be easy.

     All you have to do is get the prospect to believe what you already know to be true… inspire hope that your product or service can:

1. Get them in better shape
2. Alleviate their pain
3. Make them more money…

     You would be surprised how many “professionals” miss the boat here. They make the same mistake, over and over… they simply tell prospects about their product, when they should be showing them how it can make their lives better.

     A famous copywriter, Clayton Makepeace, once wrote, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, an example is worth at least a hundred.”

     Couldn’t have put it better myself…

     That’s why I try to incorporate examples, stories, even metaphors whenever I’m trying to get a point across.  For instance, check out my recent entries on leadership.

     In the entry about vision, I give two examples of visionary leaders (one about Tom Watson Jr. at IBM and another about Thomas Edison)… then I explain the concept to hammer it home.

     In the entry on “Walking the walk” I begin by telling a story about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Only after I’ve told a story demonstrating the idea do I try to tell readers about it.

     So how about you?  In your marketing… sales calls… pitch presentations… management…

     Are you telling people what you want them to know – or showing them how it will improve their lives?

     The room was full of civil rights leaders representing seventy five different chapters of the organization from across the south. 

     But there was one man in the audience who didn’t belong.

     He was a 24 year old white man from Arlington, VA named Roy James.  Roy was a member of a different organization – the American Nazi Party.

     As Dr. King walked to the podium and began to speak, Roy James did the unthinkable… he lept to his feet, ran to the front of the room and hit Dr. King in the face with a mighty blow.

     The crowd was in utter disbelief as King spun around and Roy James continued punching him in the back, over and over.

     Bruised and battered, Dr. King managed to turn back around and face Roy James as the audience was becoming enraged.

     At this point in history you probably know what Dr. King did… he refused to fight back. 

     In fact, he even stopped what appeared to be a retaliatory strike against Roy James, demanding the audience members not touch him.  Instead, Dr. King asked that they pray for James… and that’s exactly what they did. 

     At the time, King had been talking about non violence for several years.  But up until that point his mettle had never really been tested.  He had simply talked the talk.

     In that instant – as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. powerfully and clearly walked the walk – his sermons gained instant credibility.

     Dr. King left no doubt among the hundreds of civil rights leaders in the audience that he believed deeply in what he preached. 

     I imagine no one in the room had any doubt that Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence was more than lofty rhetoric.  The rest, as they say, is history.

     Now here’s the thing…

     Dr. King wasn’t a great leader because he could give a great speech …People didn’t follow him because he could sell ice to Eskimos …They didn’t adopt his philosophy because it sounded nice.

     In fact, several other civil rights leaders thought non violence ridiculous and ineffective.

     No, Dr. King was able to inspire a revolution and change our country forever because he walked the walk.  And he did so demonstrably and visibly.

     This is absolutely critical when trying to gain investment from staff and build a culture of trust in the workplace.

     So often in organizations I see disconnection between employees and management.  One BIG reason is that leaders don’t practice what they preach.

     This double standard is a plague that can wreak havoc in any business.  And it only takes one employee to spiral out of control.  I’ll give you a perfect (albeit embarrasing) example.

     Early on in my career I reported to a marketing director who was… how should I put it… less than punctual. 

     In fact, this person was consistently late to work in the morning, and always late to meetings (we regularly had to wait 10-15min for her).

     One day I got to work a little late and didn’t call.  This isn’t cool and I don’t condone it.  But what happened next shaped the remainder of my time with that company.

     I was called into her office and berated for about 30min.  She kept going on and on about how “perception is reality” and told me repeatedly that if I want to be successful I’ve got to be “punctual”. 

     “You don’t want people to think you’re a slacker,” she kept saying.

     I wanted to leap across the desk.  I was so angry – and in utter disbelief.  “How could she be so blind,” I thought.

     You see, to her… she was always justified for being late.  She was a “Director,” and very busy… therefore she had a free pass. 

     But she didn’t, at least not with me.

     I walked out of the office with fire in my eyes and ran to tell the first person I could about what happened. 

     Before the end of the day I had probably shared the story with about 20 people (I’m not proud of that… like I said, this was early on in my career).

     Those 20 people probably told several others and before I knew it, no one was taking this director seriously. 

     We had such contempt for her that whenever she asked us to do something we would consciously turn things in late and do just enough to get by.

     Have you ever seen this kind of disconnection between employees and management? 

     The fact is that to be an effective leader you have to gain investment from your people.  And the only way to do that is to build trust with each and every one of them. 

     One sure-fire way to build that type of trust is to walk the walk in everything you do and say… not just in YOUR mind, but in the eyes of your PEOPLE.

     I have accepted and grown from the many mistakes I made in handling this situation.  And if I ever see that manager again I’ll apologize for the way I acted. 

     The good news is that this experience gave both of us an opportunity to learn an important lesson about leadership .  I hope that I’m not the only one who got the message.

     In fact, the company repeatedly rejected developing computers because the CEO at the time, Tom Watson Sr., thought them overpriced and unreliable.

     In 1952 Tom Watson Jr. took over as President of IBM.  Under his leadership the company went from $275M in sales in 1952 to $734M in 1956.  That’s a 267% increase in just four years!

     In the early 1960s Tom Jr. oversaw a project called System 360 which produced a new line of computers that (for the first time) ran the same software and devices. 

     Fortune magazine called it “IBMs $5 million gamble.”

     The gamble paid off… and revolutionized the computer industry.  It was the catalyst for Tom Watson Jr. to maintain an almost 30% increase in sales for the entire 20 years he was at the helm of the company.

     Watson was famous for his unique vision, not just when it came to making major business decisions, but also with his employees.  One story beautifully illustrates his ability to see things differently:

     A young executive at IBM had made some bad decisions that ended up costing the company several million dollars (a huge sum of money in the 1960s). 

     The employee was called to Watson’s office and upon entering said, “I suppose after all of those mistakes you’ll want to fire me.”

     Watson was said to have replied, “not at all young man, we have just spent several million dollars educating you, I’m certainly not going to fire you now.”

     Watson could have gotten frustrated, angry and fired the young executive.  But what would that have solved?  It certainly wouldn’t get back the millions lost, and Watson knew it.

     Instead of seeing it as a disaster, Watson viewed the mistake as an opportunity for learning. 

     This is the first thing that separates leaders from the pack… they have the ability to look at things through a different set of eyes than everyone else.

     A good leader is one that understands there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity… and is able to turn both to their advantage.

     Thomas Edison personified this concept.  On more than one occasion he was heard saying, “I haven’t failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

     In fact, in 1919 Edison’s office and library (with a great deal of his work inside) were destroyed in a terrible fire.  When asked about the disaster he famously said, “There is great value in disaster.  All our mistakes are burned up; thank God we can start anew.”

     Most people would have been devastated by such an event.  But not Edison, he looked at the catastrophe as an opportunity.

     Of course, employing this type of optimism is easier said than done when you’re in the heat of battle and being pulled in a million different directions.  The good news is that it is a learned behavior.

     Next time you’re faced with adversity take a step back and a deep breath.  Ask yourself if there is another angle you can look at the situation from.  Is there anything encouraging about what happened – or are there lessons to be learned?

     Remind yourself that negativity and hasty reactions aren’t going to lead to positive results.  Getting frustrated will not fix a mistake or motivate an employee to improve.

     The fact of the matter is that good leaders never react… they simply respond.  Employees trust good leaders because they know a good leader will look at issues and challenges objectively and rationally. 

     On the other hand, employees rarely trust, confide in or ask for help from a leader who reacts emotionally or irrationally.

     Think about it.  If you knew that telling your boss about a mistake was going to lead to disappointment, a lecture, an argument or worse… you probably wouldn’t be so quick to do so. 

     And you would be less likely to ask for help that could have prevented the mistake in the first place.

     In fact, you might do everything in your power to cover it up or blame someone else to avoid your boss’s wrath (well, maybe not you… but certainly other people).  That can create a culture of distrust in the workplace faster than Usain Bolt at a track meet.

     So what kind of leader are you?  If you’re unsure, there’s an easy litmus test… 

     Do your employees regularly confide in you and ask for your input or advice (not just about work but about life too)?  Does your team generate new ideas for your business and play a role in implementing them?  Do they take pride in their work and responsibility for their mistakes?

     If you answered yes to these questions, congrats – you’re doing a great job.  If not, perhaps it’s time to make a change in your style.

     To that end, allow me to begin by sharing a quick story with you…

                A man was walking through a rock quarry busy with workers excavating stone.  The man went up to one of the workers and asked, “What are you doing?”

                The worker responded with contempt, “I’m breaking my back to break these stones!”

                So the man went up to a second worker and asked the same question.

                Apparently exhausted, the second worker replied, “I’m breaking these stones to feed my family and put a roof over our heads.”

                Seeing that the two workers had very different perceptions of their responsibilities, the man asked a third worker the same question.

                The third worker looked at the man and – without a moment’s hesitation – said with pride, “I’m building a cathedral.”

     Now which of these workers do you think got the most satisfaction out of their job?  Which do you think worked the hardest and made the fewest mistakes?  Of course, it was the third worker…

     This story isn’t about leadership per se, but the cold-hard reality, is that a leader has the ability to create any of the three workers in the story. 

     Sadly, more often than not they create employees like the first two.

     The core difference in the outlook between the first two workers and the third is simple, investment.  The third worker knew what he was doing (and why) therefore he was committed to the task at hand. 

     The first two workers were simply compliant.  They did what they had to do to get a paycheck… but no more.   They probably didn’t care much about the company they worked for or the result of their efforts either.

     Care is a key element in leadership because if employees don’t see the connection between what they care about, and the tasks they’re asked to carry out, they won’t become invested and committed to their jobs and the companies they work for. 

      To bridge this gap, a leader listens to his or her employees and helps to build a bridge between their cares and the company mission.  But that’s not all…

     …A good leader gets people involved – because they know that people become invested in what they help to create.

     …A good leader inspires rather than directs – because they know that people who are inspired become committed to their job rather than compliant in it.

     …A good leader knows how important trust is – and seeks to build it at every turn.  Employees know they can count on a leader and that the leader will do exactly what they say they will.

     …A good leader “under promises” and “over-delivers” – because they know that there’s no faster way to create a culture of mistrust in the workplace than not delivering on promises.

     …A good leader connects employee care with company mission – because they know that employees that don’t care about the company, product, or mission will do just enough to get by and no more.

     In the next few weeks, I’ll explain what steps you can take to embody these traits.  In doing so, I’ll give you the tools you need to become a more effective leader – the kind of leader that people rally around and want to follow.

     For now, ask yourself, “Am I doing the things that build trust, investment, inspiration, and commitment amongst my employees?”

    If not, it might be time for a change.

If you live in Montgomery County be sure to check out the show on MMC-TV (Channel 16 on Comcast & Verizon) Monday’s & Wednesday’s @ 6:30pm

     Good marketing is like a relationship.  And it has a life cycle of its own.

     First you need to find prospects that are looking for what you’re offering.

     For instance, if you’re a devout Catholic you might have better luck finding a potential partner at church versus, say, a Buddhist meditation center. 

     Likewise, marketing iPhone apps to senior citizens probably isn’t going to work – call it a hunch…

     The good news is that there are a number of ways to find people who are already dealing with problems that your product or service can solve. 

     Offline, you can rent mailing lists, purchase ad space in publications that are aligned with your product, build models…

     Online, it’s even easier and less expensive.  You can leverage Google Adwords and other pay-per-click (PPC) mediums, incorporate search engine optimization (SEO), join a media network, send out third-party emails…

              Connect with me for more information on targeting YOUR ideal market

     Once you find who you’re looking for, the real fun begins.  Now it’s time to put on your game face and make a great first impression.  One way to do that is with a tantalizing “pick-up line.”  In your marketing that’s a headline.

     An effective headline will get the prospect’s attention and create intrigue.  Just like a good pick-up line, a good headline will entice the prospect to get to know you better.  

     If you get this far, congrats… you’ve got your foot in the door. 

     At this point you have to provide just enough information so that the prospect stays interested, but not so much that they get bored.  This is vital, you don’t want to spill your life story to someone you just met at the gym…

     Remember, the goal here is to keep them interested… you’re looking for a first date, not a wedding ring (yet).

     If you do your job at this point in the cycle you’ll likely secure a first date.  That’s when a prospect decides to try your product or service.

     But your job isn’t done yet.  In fact, the hardest part is yet to come.  Keep in mind that the most successful businesses aren’t just looking for a one-night stand, they foster a lifelong relationship.

     So when you arrive to pick up your date make sure you bring a little something extra that he/she isn’t expecting… perhaps some beautiful flowers. 

     In marketing we call this “surprise and delight”.  It’s when you deliver your product and include something extra… perhaps a money-saving coupon, a personalized “Thank You” note, or some type of complimentary bonus.

     These (seemingly small) gestures go a long way in making a great first impression and build the foundation for a long-term relationship. 

     Finally, and most importantly, you have to deliver. 

     If you said that you were an astronaut to get a date and then your date finds out you’re really jobless and live with your parents… it’s probably going to be an early night.

     Likewise, if you say your product can stop heartburn and indigestion, it better be able to do just that.

     If you approach marketing and sales like you would a potential relationship… and you follow theses five guidelines:

     1)  Target prospects that are already looking for what you’re offering
     2)  Persuade them to want to get to know you better
     3)  Surprise and delight
     4)  Make good on your upfront promises
     5)  Continue to keep the person engaged with your company 

…then you’ll be well on your way to a profitable business.

     Now I know you’re disappointed, so – instead of a map to eternal youth – I’m going to make it up to you by sharing my roadmap to writing blockbuster headlines for your products and services (easily the next best thing).  

     Call it my way of saying “I’m sorry” for the deception . 

     Even better, I’m going to reveal the 5 Critical Components to Writing Powerful Headlines.  And that’s especially valuable because a headline is by far the most important part of any marketing piece. 

     In fact, I bet if you took a straw poll of all the marketers, advertising professionals and copywriters around the world they would probably agree that about 80% of a successful marketing piece is the headline. 

     Now here’s something that’s really interesting.  Take a look at a few of the most successful headlines of the past 50 years: 

• HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
• THEY LAUGHED WHEN I SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO – BUT WHEN I STARTED TO PLAY!
• DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN ENGLISH?
• HOW A “FOOL STUNT” MADE ME A STAR SALESMAN
• CAN YOU SPOT THESE 10 DECORATING SINS?

      All in all, pretty bland if you ask me.  I mean, what’s so special about these?  Can you figure out why they’ve generated literally BILLIONS in sales? 

        …It certainly isn’t because they appeal to large audiences – how many people are actively looking to learn piano?  

       …It isn’t because they make incredible claims – in fact, they really don’t make any claims at all.

        …And it’s not for entertainment value – not one is even mildly amusing. 

      I’ll tell you why they generated more sales than a mall the day after Thanksgiving…  it’s because they tap into the 5 Critical Components to Writing Powerful Headlines. 

     Know what they are?

     Well, conventional wisdom says that a good headline is supposed to stand out, grab a prospect by the collar and usher them into the piece.  Makes sense… but there are some other things to keep in mind too. 

     Using just those benchmarks as a litmus test for your headlines could prove… um… disasterous.  For instance, if I was writing a marketing piece for a diet program I could lead with the headline:

             Naked Pictures of Angelina Jolie Inside

             OR (in the interest of fairness)

             Naked Pictures of Brad Pitt Inside

      Both certainly (i) stand out (ii) grab a prospect by the collar and (iii) usher a reader into the piece.  But I’m not so sure they would be very effective in generating sales.

    Of course these are extreme examples, I realize that.  But they’re not that extreme, think about it…

     Have you ever been in a grocery store checkout lane and read some of the crazy headlines on the magazines, newspapers and digests?  Ever been compelled to actually read the article – and then find out the headline has nothing to do with what you’re reading? 

     Believe it or not, this doesn’t just happen with the National Enquirer.  I see it all the time with space ads in magazines, advertorials and even long form copy.

     A successful headline isn’t just attention grabbing, and it has to accomplish more than persuading the prospect to continue reading.

      There are five key elements to an effective and powerful headline.  If you account for all five in your headlines I promise you’ll be sitting back with your feet up watching your bank account overflow like a river during monsoon season (there’s your fountain of youth…).

      Here they are:

      IT GETS ATTENTION.  An effective headline grabs you by the shirt collar and won’t let go.  This isn’t the only element but it’s an important one. 

      It’s Compelling.  An effective headline compels the reader to continue reading.  Of course, to be compelling the headline also has to be believable.  One way to make it believable is to weave proof elements into the headline itself: Harvard Study Shows Using THIS Supplement Cuts Cancer Risk in HALF

     It Connects.  An effective headline “speaks” into the prospect’s “listening” and connects with them on a personal and emotional level.  This requires knowing your prospect inside and out – going beyond simply understanding their problems to empathizing with the emotions triggered by those problems.

     It’s Relevant.  An effective headline meets prospects where they are and solves a problem they’re dealing with.  It also needs to provide some immediate benefit/value to the prospect and be germane to the rest of the copy in the piece.

     It’s Personal.  An effective headline speaks to one person and one person only.  It should be the beginning of a conversation that will eventually lead to a relationship.  It taps into the prospects deepest needs and makes them feel unique, smart, important and valued.

      So there they are, the 5 Critical Components to Writing Powerful Headlines.  Make them your own and you’ll be well on your way to developing powerful, profit-producing headlines.

     Seems kinda bass ackwards if you know what I mean…

     But the fact is that emotions are what sell a product or service.  And tapping into the emotions your potential customers are feeling can unlock a whole new world of opportunity and success for you and your business.

     Let me give you an example…

     Many of my friends have taken a beating in the market over the past year.  Most of them have many years to make up ground and secure their financial futures…  but others are not so lucky.

     I was out to lunch with one of the not-so-lucky-ones last week – we’ll call him Bill. 

     Bill is a 58yr old Vice President of Sales at a software company.  Over the past year he’s lost about 40% of his net worth in the market… not uncommon these days.

     But for Bill the emotion wasn’t focused around loosing the money… he was petrified that he would outlive his savings and not be able to provide for himself or his family.

     Good marketers and sales people don’t stop at the problem (I lost 40% of my net worth) they get to know their potential customers and tap into the emotions behind their problems.

    What emotions are your prospects going through that are relevant to your product or service?

     And that’s on top of all our personal crises.

     At first glance these disasters seem unrelated. But I invite you to consider that they’re not.

     In fact, some experts believe that root cause for each is the exactly the same.

     The problem isn’t that complex, in fact it’s incredibly simple. You see…

        …we’ve confused ‘more’ with ‘better’ for so long that we’re never satisfied anymore.

        …we’ve confused leadership with having all the answers for so long that we’ve created a culture of distrust in our offices and schools.

        …we’ve confused gathering information with wisdom for so long that it’s tough to tell to two apart.

        …we’ve confused directing people with inspiring them for so long that we can’t rally the support we need to be effective.

        …we’ve depended on our intellect so much that we’ve lost our capacity for incorporating other ways of knowing and understanding.

     And perhaps most importantly, we’re so caught up in ‘figuring out’ everything that we fail to truly ‘experience’ anything.

     I invite you to consider that these distortions are at the heart of every crisis we face right now – economic, health care, environmental…

     If you think about it companies rarely value slow, long term growth anymore.

     Instead, venture capitalists gobble up companies looking for a quick turnaround and huge windfall profits.

     Corporate boards and investors put CEOs feet to the fire for quick and substantial returns on their investments. Is that model really sustainable?

     It’s no wonder we’re in this mess.

     But most important to me is the human impact. The unhappiness and disconnection this mass confusion has created for millions of people around the world.

     We live in a society where consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to fuel production and keep our fragile economy from imploding.  A society like that is built on greed, envy and waste.

     We just don’t know how to be satisfied or content anymore… and that’s led to a lot of pain and suffering in the world.

     While times of crises bring scarcity, conflict, stress and anxiety… they also bring enormous opportunities to learn from our mistakes and plot a new, more sustainable path.

     But this new path can’t be a top down approach.  We cannot expect the government or President Obama to magically fix these problems.

     Each of us can affect positive change.  So ask yourself… what can I do to be the change I wish to see in the world?  How can I run my business better… treat my employees better… develop more products that enrich peoples lives…?

     If you need a few ideas, send me an email – I’ve got files filled with them.