The Hypnotic Power of Confusion
by Joe Vitale
"Did you walk to work or carry a lunch?"
Huh?
My father asked me that question more than 25 years ago. I still remember
it. Why? Because it's a ridiculous question.
A famous comedian in the 1950s used to ask people, "Got a banana?"
The question might make sense if asked in the right
situation, but he asked it everywhere. I've forgotten the name of the
comedian, but I still recall his question. Why? Because it's strange.
As I write this, I am creating new business cards for myself. I decided
to add a confusing line to it. After some fun brainstorming with my girlfriend,
I settled on, "Ask me about the monkey."
Why is "Ask me about the monkey?" worth putting on my business
card? As with my father's question and the comedian's question, it stops
your brain in its tracks. It makes you pause. It makes you focus on ME.
The theory is that once you stop someone with a confusing line, you can
then implant a hypnotic command right after it.
In other words, if I write something like, "Apples desk fly dirt,"
and then follow it with, "Read my new ebook," the chances are
very high that you are going to want to read my new ebook.
Why? Because the first line jammed your mind, and the second line slipped
into your brain while you weren't looking. I've just upped the odds that
you will buy my new e-book. And if you don't, of course, it doesn't matter
because I never really told you to go buy it. See?
The same thing will happen on my new business cards. Since I'm now known
as "The World's First Hypnotic Marketer," I wanted a strange,
confusing line on my new card. When someone sees, "Ask me about the
monkey," and then asks me about the monkey, I can simply point out
that I practice hypnotic selling and I just got them to do what I wanted.
The Japanese practice this "hypnotic confusion," but probably
unknowingly. A friend of mine who flew to Japan reported to me that the
English phrases on all the Japanese products were bizarre. A tube of toothpaste
might say, "Green days you not sing." A box of cookies might
say, "Wood above fish."
How can you use this secret right now? Don't be afraid to be confusing.
People tend to sort out whatever you say anyway and make sense out of
it using their own terms. If you are describing your product in great
detail, be willing to toss in something odd. It may increase sales.
If not, swirl up!
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About the Author: Joe
Vitale is recognized by many to be one of the greatest living copywriters.He
has helped over 200 authors and publishers write, publish and promote
their books. Joe's clients include small presses to large publishing houses,
such as Doubleday Books in New York. He has also helped large companies,
from The American Red Cross to Hermann Children's Hospital in Houston.
His latest project, the Hypnotic Writer's Swipe File, is a collection
of over 1,550 copywriting gems that took him years to compile.
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