How to make people sit up and take notice

When did you last say something that made people sit up and take notice?

When did you last hear a sixty-second presentation that was powerful enough to make you lift your nose out of the scrambled eggs?

Integral to obtaining more referrals for your business is the ability to grab attention with a powerful statement from the outset. But if you’re not a great orator or writer, don’t worry – Igor has the answer.

Specifically, Russian born composer Igor Stravinsky once said: “Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal”.

Copywriters have what we call a swipe file. This is a gathered collection of compelling, proven successful copy – whether for websites, advertisements, brochures etc.

An example would be some of these headlines below, billed as the top ten of all time (by some copywriters at least):

• The secret of making people like you;
• A little mistake that cost a farmer $3,000 a year;
• Advice to wives whose husbands don’t save money – by a wife;
• They laughed when I sat down at the piano – but when I started to play!
• Are you ever tongue-tied at a party?
• How a new discovery made a plain girl beautiful;
• How to win friends and influence people;
• Why some foods “explode” in your stomach;
• Do you make these mistakes in English?

The trick is to borrow one of these headlines and turn it into the introduction line of your sixty-second presentation.

For example:

• Do you make these cashflow mistakes?; or
• A little mistake that cost a small business owner $3,000 a year.

Go on, give it a whirl. Surprise people and yourself.