There really isn't enough sociology in advertising nowadays...

11 months of Lockdown got me feeling like...

But once lockdown ends...

Mystery third meat alert!

Now many readers have asked me over the years "how do I (with my great hair) go about fleeing a gothic house?"

That's a very good question, because it's not as easy as it seems...

There are of course many gothic domiciles that women with great hair can flee from:
- a house
- a mansion
- a castle
- a chateau

More adventurous gothic heroines can also choose to flee:
- a manor
- a keep
- a graveyard
- some dark foggy towers

As gothic houses come in all shapes and sizes you may come across the following things which require fleeing:
- Strangers (call a taxi)
- Tombs (walk to the nearest exit)
- Hell (fleeing recommended)
- Darkest Death (head start required)

There are some items that are a clear giveaway that you are in, or near, a gothic house that requires fleeing. Look around you and see if you can spot:
- sarcophagi
- crucibles (unless in a chemistry lab)
- anemones
- any form of ides

Are you writing a sci-fi or fantasy novel? Are you struggling to choose a title for it?

Well good news! I've just analysed the titles of 1,500 DAW sci-fi and fantasy novels, and I think I've found the secret!

Come with me...

On 23 September 1984 the BBC broadcast the apocalypse: the story of nuclear war and its effects on the people of Sheffield. Filmed on a shoestring budget it still causes nightmares to this day.

This thread is not for the squeamish.

This the story of Threads...

In 1965 the BBC had filmed The War Game, a fictional docu-drama about a nuclear attack on Britain. However under pressure from the government the BBC withdrew it from screening. It was finally released in 1966 as a film in selected theatres.

For many years the withdrawal of The War Game had rankled many at the BBC. Surely it was a public broadcaster's duty to show the public what the reality of nuclear war would mean. Finally in 1982 they did so.

A Guide To Armageddon was a documentary for the BBC's peak-time science series Q.E.D. Produced by Mick Jackson it graphically depicted the effect of a one megaton explosion on London. It also explored how well people could survive such a blast if they were in a fallout shelter.

Jackson had carefully researched his subject and knew how under-prepared the UK was for nuclear war. The physical and psychological effects of atomic attack would catapult what was left of Britain back to a 14th century mode of living, a time when bubonic plague killed millions.

Due to the pandemic you may not have visited your local library in a while. So come with me on a virtual library tour, courtesy of stock photography, to see what we do for a living...

Libraries are of course information resource centres, but in many ways they are so much more. To get the best out of them you need to really know your way around the stacks.

The enquiries desk is normally your first stop in a library, and this is where you will meet The Angry Librarian! Why is she angry? Because you keep asking her stupid questions!

"Are you open?"
"Do you have a toilet?"
"That chair's wobbly!"
"Why isn't it available in audiobook?"
"Someone else is on the computer and that's not fair!"

On and on it goes...

And that's why in the library we insist on silence. It's the only way to stop us swearing at all the idiotic things you ask us. And we've looked up a lot of old swear words: beardsplitter, bescumber, rantallion, smellfungus etc. We're such muckspouts...

THREAD:

Machiavellianism in Different Professions

SALES:

It has been said that a con-man is just a salesmen without a product, but this is a lie; a salesman is just a con-man with a product.

Your job is to persuade people to buy product, regardless of whether or not it is in their best interest to do so.

Charm and Persuasion are your tools.

Keep in mind that Charm fuels Persuasion, in the sense that many people will buy from you simply because they like you, not necessarily because they are in love with the product itself.

Zero sum negotiation (an intrinsically machiavellian domain of performance) is a key job function within sales; you will have to negotiate price and deal terms.

Notably, zero sum negotiation is also common within Law and Finance.

How complex the manipulations you must engage in for the sake of persuading a target to buy product will vary from one industry to another.

As a door to door magazine salesmen, simply being good looking and hyping up the product by being extroverted may be enough.

Marketing, Content, & Audience

Clubhouse highlights from @Julian, @shl, @mkobach, & @tobydoyhowell:

When building an audience, optimize for 3 things:

Volume
➡ How many followers?

Affinity
➡ How much do they prefer your tweet to the same one from someone else?

Recursive power
➡ How influential are your followers toward your goals?

Here's how to do marketing:

People follow to be entertained.

Entertain people & remind them that you exist.

You'll be top of mind when they want to sell an e-book or are frustrated by a slow check-out.

Don't make marketing more complicated than it is.

Forget funnels.

@mkobach just wants @Fast to be present to more people & knows 2M > 1M.

@tobydoyhowell just wants people to see MB everywhere & realize that the Brew is inevitable

Fact: people are more relatable than brands

Building your company around a personal brand(s) is a competitive advantage.

@Fast encourages & even helps people to build their personal brands

How to scale your business in 30 days

(If you are making below $1M in revenue)

//THREAD//

**disclaimer**

This thread has nothing to do with marketing OR sales.

There are way better threads and more qualified individuals who can help you.

This is for those who are strong at marketing and sales but weak at the operations side of things.

**disclaimer cont.**

This thread is mostly going to benefit the CEOs.

The visionaries.

Your strength is crafting the vision for the company, selling that vision, and continuously innovating your vision.

Read through this though so you understand what you need.

Craft your vision for the future of your business.

If you have not already done this for 2021, answer the questions on this Google Doc and then come back to this

Find an integrator

You have no business working IN your business.

Find someone who will.

Someone who can take your ideas and put them into action is the most valuable asset you can have when looking to scale.

An integrator will help double your business at a minimum.

10 sales tactics that work:

1/ Stage out the conversation

One conversation is just that: another conversation.

Land a second, and now you’re being “evaluated”.

Don’t try to jam through everything in the first convo.

Do just enough to pique their interest and land that second meeting.

2/ Do your homework

If you’re pitching a customer, use their product,

Read about the company and the person you’re talking to.

Ultimately, this proves that you will do the work to make their lives easier.

It’s so powerful yet so easily overlooked.

3/ Ask about the decision making process

Who is required to make a decision like this?

What would you need to see from me to be able to buy?

How long will it take to make a decision?

These questions give you the roadmap on how to close the deal.

4/ Don’t always demo

Sometimes it’s habit to jump straight into a demo.

If someone wants to talk first, do that.

This could consume a whole first conversation.

Which gives you a great excuse for that second meeting: going thru the demo.