One of the most powerful persuasion secrets is something Ben Settle calls:
“Making the skeleton dance.”
The gist of it is this:
By embracing your product’s shortcomings and weaknesses—instead of shying away from them or pretending they don’t exist—it makes you appear more authentic and trustworthy. Plus, if you make your skeleton dance good enough, it can even become a reason someone buys your product over a superior one.
Here’s why I bring it up:
There’s an ad circulating on social media from a company called Hostage Tape which demonstrates one of the most brilliant, yet tongue-in-cheek, examples of this persuasion secret.
If’n you’ve never heard of Hostage Tape, I recommend studying their marketing. They know their customers like the back of their hand. Hostage Tape, for the uninitiated, is nothing more than a literal piece of black tape that you put over your mouth before bed to prevent mouth breathing, snoring, sleep apnea, and more. I told you to study their marketing!
In one of their ads, they’re spoofing a Joe Rogan style interview. One person is from Hostage Tape and the other person is a potential customer.
Hostage Tape Person is spelling out all the various benefits of using Hostage Tape before bed, but the potential customer only has one question that he keeps asking and asking.
His question?
“But will it make my d*ck grow?”
Ha!
Hostage Tape Person repeatedly tells Potential Customer Person that no, it will not grow your manhood. He questions why this person even thought this would be a benefit. And no matter how much Potential Customer Person “asks Jamie” to pull up research on the penis-growing benefits of using Hostage Tape…
…Hostage Tape Person shoots him down.
It’s a funny little ad, yes.
It makes the skeleton dance a bit, yes.
And methinks it’s generated a lot of revenue for the company.
Not only because it makes the skeleton dance, but because it shows how they know their audience like the back of their hand. (Otherwise, this bit wouldn’t be funny and would be cringey.)
Do with that what thou wilt.
If you need help making your skeletons dance throughout your email marketing strategy (and watching your email revenue tick up and up), hit reply, and let’s do the dayem thang.
John
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