POP! Out of Your Pack

"Let’s give 'em something to talk about." - Bonnie Raitt song

Whether you are introducing yourself at a networking function, pitching your start up, writing web copy, creating a marketing campaign, naming a business, interviewing for a job, or competing for a contract, your success depends on whether you can quickly capture people's interest.

Are they sufficiently intrigued in the first 60 seconds to want to know more?

Did you succeed in getting what you care about in their mental door?

People today are so busy, so bombarded with information, that’s all the time we have. If we don’t convince them in our one-minute window of opportunity that we’re worth their valuable time, they’ll switch their focus to something else.

The premise of POP! is that the best way to attract instant interest is to make our communication Purposeful, Original and Pithy. This is so rarely done, it makes what we’re saying and selling incredibly appealing.

My goal was to remove the mystery from this "art and science of INTRIGUE."

I wanted to develop a step-by-step system anyone could use to win buy-in for themselves, their ideas, inventions and initiatives.

Here are just a few ways to do that.

P = Purposeful. Brilliant wordplay doesn’t qualify for POP! status unless it does two things. It a) accurately articulates the essence of you and your offering, and b) positions you positively with your target audience.

One way to do that is to place your product or business name in your slogan so it’s imprinted on people's brain every time they hear or see it.

For example, fill in these blanks. I wish I were an "____ _____ Wiener." "You're in good hands with _______." Even if you haven’t heard those jingles in years, you probably said Oscar Meyer and All State. Now those are POP! slogans that delivers an ongoing ROI.

O = Original. It’s almost a given that you're one of many. One of many dentists dog walkers, designers. One of many booths at a trade show. One of many coaches competing for your customers' business. One of many job candidates trying to get hired. What is it about you that distinguishes you others?

One way to distinguish yourself is to offer something unlike anyone or anything else. Instead of competing in a crowded niche, create your own niche.

When you’re one of a kind, there is no competition.

For example, if you want to take dance classes, you’ll see dozens of options that look much the same, but there’s only one studio called Floor Play. That original name may be just enough incentive for you to try them first.?

P = Pithy. The word pithy, which means concise and precise, may not sound very eloquent, but it’s an important part of POP! communication.

The human brain can hold only seven bits of information in short term memory. If our description is longer than seven words, chances are people won’t be able to remember it. And if they don’t remember what we’re offering, it will fail.

As comedian Stephen Wright said, My grandfather invented Cliff Notes. He .... well, to make a long story short..."

Your goal is to make a long story short.

When people ask, "What do you do?" or "Why should I buy this or hire you?" they can repeat what you say after hearing, reading, or watching it ...once.

An excellent example of this? Nordstrom condensed its entire customer service policy into one, succinct sentence. "Use your good judgment in all situations."

Wow, instead of a bulky binder full of regulations or a mission statement no one remembers, they crystallized a North Star guideline that stays "in heart, in mind."

By the way, you can quickly tell if you've composed a successful POP! message.

Just share it with others and see if it passes The Eyebrow Test.

What’s The Eyebrow Test?

Click here to see if what you care about passes it.