Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Two Sides of the Persuasion Coin

copyblogger weekly

Remember the classic Saturday Night Live sketch?

Is it a dessert topping? Is it a floor wax? It’s both!

This week, we’ll look at two seemingly very different sides of the marketing and persuasion coin.

One side features traditional sales and marketing techniques; the other shows a more educational, audience-building angle — sometimes called a “soft” marketing approach.

They seem like opposites, but in fact, each side benefits and supports the other. Smart marketers will use both … hopefully with a little more grace than a combination dessert topping/floor wax.

Asking for what you want

One of the cornerstones of traditional sales and marketing is making the “ask” — sometimes known as the call to action.

On Monday, Pamela Wilson shared an excerpt with us from her new book, all about the nuts and bolts of crafting effective calls to action. This is a technique you can pick up fairly quickly, and it will make a major difference in how your audience responds to your offers.

(Also, I was lucky enough to get an advance review copy of Pamela’s new book, and it’s insanely useful. You can pre-order now at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores.)

On the audio side of the house, Sean Jackson and Jessica Frick of Members Only talk with Chris Voss, best-selling author of Never Split the Difference, about a more advanced way to ask for what you need — the art of negotiation.

Voss was an FBI hostage negotiator … and has some counterintuitive (and surprisingly entertaining) insights about how advanced persuasion works.

Showing what you can do

The other side of that persuasion coin is to show your audience what you have to offer — which is what content marketing is all about.

Jeff Goins has a lovely post this week about “practicing in public” — getting out there in front of your audience and doing the work, even when you don’t feel ready. It takes courage, but it’s a remarkable way to not only polish your skills, but to create an unshakeable bond with your audience.

The post shows Jeff’s signature mix of inspiration and straight-talking pragmatism, and I think it will fire you up to get something in front of your audience now, not “when it’s ready.”

Enjoy the week’s content, and I’ll catch you next Thursday!

— Sonia Simone
Chief Content Officer, Rainmaker Digital

Catch up on this week’s content


How to get attention and actionPowerful Calls to Action: How to Get Your Reader to Take the Next Step

by Pamela Wilson


Build interest when you share your workA More Tasteful Alternative to Self-promotion: Practice in Public

by Jeff Goins


Forget these lessons to become a better writer7 Bad Writing Habits You Learned in School

by Jonathan Morrow


How to Master the Art of NegotiationHow to Master the Art of Negotiation

by Sean Jackson


When Is the Right Time to Start Another Podcast?When Is the Right Time to Start Another Podcast?

by Jerod Morris & Jon Nastor


The Importance of Entrepreneurial Mental HealthThe Importance of Entrepreneurial Mental Health

by Brian Gardner & Lauren Mancke


Are One-on-One Connections the Key to Jumpstarting Your Online Business?Are One-on-One Connections the Key to Jumpstarting Your Online Business?

by Brian Clark & Jerod Morris


Behind the Scenes at Copyblogger: Our New Email ApproachBehind the Scenes at Copyblogger: Our New Email Approach

by Sonia Simone


How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part OneHow Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part One

by Kelton Reid


Tips for Crowdfunding a New Product (Or Your Entire Business), with Khierstyn RossTips for Crowdfunding a New Product (Or Your Entire Business), with Khierstyn Ross

by Brian Clark


this-week-in-authority

Authority Business Coaching Call with Giuseppe Fratoni

with Sonia Simone, Pamela Wilson, and Giuseppe Fratoni

Session Available Now

Are you working on differentiating your business from your competitors’ businesses? Watch this week’s Authority Business Coaching session, where we focus on one member’s business. This month, Sonia Simone and Pamela Wilson chat with Rome-based digital marketing strategist Giuseppe Fratoni — they help him identify the unique positioning he can use to stand out from the crowd.

Join Authority to attend this session

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