Page 104 - Hypnotic Writing - How to Seduce and Persuade Customers with Only Your Words

not you. When Disney Studios released the movie Arachnophobia, it was billed as a comedy–thriller. When they discovered that audi- ences didn’t care about comedy–thrillers, they billed the movie as a horror picture. Same movie, different approach. You have to think of your readers, not yourself.
One of the reasons Robert Collier’s letters were so successful is because he merged with his readers. He began his letters from their viewpoint. Though Collier wanted people to order his products, his letters were friendly and personal and began by meeting the reader right where their mind was.
It’s also a principle of Aikido, the martial art from Japan. Rather than beating someone into agreeing with you (as some politicians do with their advertising), Aikido says take people from where they already are to where you want them to be. Use their own momen- tum but redirect it. In other words, when writing a letter to get a point across, don’t just whack the reader with your point. That’s blunt. Instead, begin the letter from where the reader is, maybe by agreeing with him on some issue, and then move the letter in the direction of what you want to say.
Your reader is selfish. All he cares about is himself. Appeal to that interest. I often get query letters from authors who want me to consider publishing their books. Far too often the letter is about them and what they want, rarely about what I may want. You know what I do with those letters, don’t you? (Take a guess.) If you just take a little time to consider your reader, you’ll begin the process of writing something that will hypnotize him.
Consider this: If a woman knocked on your door right now and offered to help you write Hypnotic Writing, you’d listen, wouldn’t you? But what if the same woman wanted to sell you diapers? The first one appeals to what you want, the second to what she wants. Which lady will hold your attention?
Or consider this: If you were a part of a group photo shooting and later were handed the photo, whose face would you look for first? Obviously, your own. That’s because you interests you. Same goes for your readers: They are interested in themselves, not you.
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