Because you are an independent thinker, I believe you will appreciate the following:
A few nights ago, I was walking along the riverside when a series of loud explosions went off all around me.
I didn’t flinch. Not because I’m so brave. But because I knew what was going on.
The explosions were firecrackers, fireworks, or possibly cannon fire, set off in celebration. They were followed by mass cheering that broke out from balconies, bars, and cafes all over the city.
Because it’s the Euro Cup now. And the national soccer team had just scored a goal.
I say national team, but that’s not what they are called. Not officially.
Instead, government officials, TV pundits, and newspaper editors now use the terms “we,” or more commonly, “Croatia.”
“Croatia was magnificent”
“Croatia needs to try harder”
“Croatia rises from the ashes”
My point is that soccer here is a kind of new state religion.
I’m not kidding about that.
Once upon a time in this part of the world, belonging to the official church and being a good citizen were two sides of the same personal identity coin.
Today, the church has lost much of its pull.
But soccer has gained where the church has lost.
So today, billboards, TV, and newspapers all repeat a hundred versions of the same two-sided message:
“Croatia is soccer! And soccer is Croatia!”
But let me step off my 1984 pulpit. And let me get to the money-making shot at the open goal.
This official push for soccer fandom brought to mind something I’ve heard from two successful marketers.
The marketers in question are Chris Haddad and Ben Settle. And independent of each other, they both said the same thing:
You want to make buying from you a virtue.
Sure, people want to get rich, get laid, and get swole.
But maybe not as much as you think. Maybe not enough to pull out their wallets, to overcome their fears, and to set aside the bad memories of previous purchases that went nowhere. Maybe not enough to buy.
So you link buying from you to a virtue:
Your prospect is a rebel. Or a patriot. Or a visionary.
And by virtue of buying from you… he is making the world a better place… and reaffirming that he is in fact a deserving person.
And when your prospect starts wondering if that’s really something he wants, you remind him:
He still gets rich/laid/swole as part of the bargain. A good deal, no? 1-0 for your business.
And now the pitch:
Since you are an independent-thinking person, you might want to sign up to my email newsletter. By signing up to my email newsletter, you will be exposed to novel ideas, making you an even more independent-thinking person. Plus you might make some money in the process.