My headline today is a play on F For Fake. That was a documentary Orson Wells made about frauds, forgers, and fakers, himself included. And it ties into some real news about Frank Abagnale.
You’ve probably heard that name. Frank Abagnale is the real-life guy whose story was told by Steven Spielberg in Catch Me If You Can.
Between the ages of 16 and 20, Frank impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a college professor. He traveled all around the world… broke the hearts of lovely stewardesses… and lived rich by passing fake checks.
Even if you don’t approve of Frank’s crimes, I bet you enjoyed the movie based on Frank’s life. And maybe you even had a bit of sympathy for his daring and boyish charm, at least as portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Except… maybe… it never happened?
I don’t mean the movie stretched the truth.
I mean, maybe Frank’s story of fraud and forgery was all a fake, from day one?
According to some guy writing for WHYY, an NPR subsidiary, it’s all a big lie. Frank Abagnale never did any of those exciting and romantic things we know him for. Well, he did pass a few bad checks, and he did stalk a stewardess for a while. But that’s about where the romance ends.
And it gets crazier because:
Apparently this was well-known back in the 70s. That’s when a few newspapers published articles to debunk Frank’s grandiose claims.
But it didn’t hurt none. Frank’s legend grew through self-promotion, and grew, and grew, until he took over Hollywood.
This is similar to the story I wrote about a few weeks ago, about psychic Uri Geller, and James Randi, the guy who debunked him. But my message for you today is less controversial than what I wrote back then.
My message today is simply a business truth:
You don’t succeed because you create and deliver a superior product or service. The world will not beat a path to your door.
Instead, you succeed because you create and deliver superior marketing.
This is true whether you’re a computer engineer, a consultant, a copywriter… or as Frank Abagnale’s story shows, even a con man. As Frank’s dad puts it in a famous scene from Catch Me If You Can:
Frank’s dad: You know why the Yankees always win, Frank?
Frank: Cause they have Mickey Mantle?
Frank’s dad: Nah. It’s cause the other teams can’t stop staring at those damn pinstripes.
And if you need ideas for superior marketing:
You might like the ideas I share in my email newsletter. Click here to give it a try.