“That’s my secret, Captain. [I’m always angry.]”
— Bruce Banner [The Incredible Hulk]
Yesterday I was filled with absolute rage for a plethora of reasons that I won’t get into here. I got into them yesterday though if’n you’re curious about the trooth.
And you know what?
Besides pounding each key with the force of a thousand suns… I got a lot more done than usual because anger is the world’s best nootropic.
The problem?
Well, anger ain’t exactly healthy. I didn’t particularly enjoy yesterday. But it was useful. And necessary.
While anger isn’t the best long-term strategy, especially when you’re doing something as creative as writing, it is the most potent short-term strategy you can employ when you need to get a lot of shit done.
And boy, did I need to get a lot of shit done yesterday.
Surely, I’m not just boring you with a diary-esque update about my life and business though right? Right?!
Well, I’ve sent you over 450 daily-ish emails at this point, so you should know that I’m right on the cusp of relating this to your life and your business…
(…and don’t call me Shirley by the way…)
So, yes, you’re right.
And in the next sentence, this email *magically* turns from me to you:
Most biz owners fear their anger.
And I get it.
Anger can lead you to communicate in a way that makes your team wanna jump ship, makes your customers not wanna support your business, and it can even make your chick upset.
But anger, when harnessed properly, is powerful.
Now, you have to be able to turn it on and off when necessary.
For example, yesterday morning, while my face was still contorted with rage, I had a sales call. If I showed up to said sales call yesterday still boiling with anger, then, well, I wouldn’t have landed a second meeting nor have the power to decide whether or not I wanted to take on this new client.
(Lesson in there for freelancers)
But as soon as the call ended, I turned back on my anger.
Y’see, most people think of anger as the most destructive emotion.
But it’s not.
At least, it’s not always the most destructive.
Anger is best served when it’s just you and your rage. It’s when you take that anger to other people in your life that it becomes nasty and destructive.
And anger is also a useful tool for persuasion:
When your audience is already angry at something, by tapping into this potent emotion, you can bend them to your will. This is where the Us vs Them mentality seeps into your copy, and can be wildly profitable if you wield it correctly.
But, again, taking your anger and red to your team and closest relationships will backfire.
Anywho:
Maybe you got something out of this email, mayhap not.
But if you’re angry that your email marketing strategy ain’t generating as much revenue as you think it could, an easy way to get rid of that anger is by hitting reply. If we both decide we’re a good fit, then, well, I’ll show you just how much untapped revenue is currently sitting in email software.
John
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