Page 152 - ConvinceThemFlip

convince them in 90 seconds or less
ten-second commercial that reads: “We give travelers the
freedom to explore Europe twenty-four hours a day”? As
with all good ten-second commercials, there was room
to adapt it to different circumstances. Suggestions came
from around the table: “At a bridal show we could say,
EXERCISE
The “Pub Approach”
What would you say if you saw the client of your dreams
sitting in a bar and had only a few seconds while you were
ordering a drink to convey your message—to tell her what you
do, whom you do it for, and how it makes their lives better?
I spent a lot of time in pubs back in the late 1960s
watching Francis Xavier Muldoon deliver his messages
quickly, memorably, and succinctly in both formal and
informal settings. He called what he did in the latter his “pub
approach,” adding that he often used it when someone asked
him what he did for a living. “The trick,” he said, “is to get
the other person to say ‘yes’ before you tell them.”
Let’s consider Pat’s ten-second commercial for his
company: “I help exporters find new markets, ship their
products on time, and get a good night’s sleep.”
Here is the “pub approach” to marketing the same
company:
“You know how most exporters are always looking to find
new markets?”
144