A few weeks ago I mentioned reading Steve McQueen’s biography.
Specifically, all the business lessons and ideas contained inside, amongst other ideas and thoughts I had on the book (which was one of the best biographies I’ve ever read, and, in some ways, one of the best business books I ever done read, too).
Anyway, here’s another lesson:
Steve was notorious for “saying” pages of dialogue with a single look.
In fact, my consulting client in the entertainment business last month was telling me how it wasn’t uncommon for 2-3 pages of dialogue to be tossed out while filming because Steve would stare at the camera in such a way where all that needed to be said was said with a look, and no dialogue was necessary.
Just one of the many reasons he was the highest paid actor of his day.
This also applies to email and sales copy, too.
By using metaphors, humor, stories, analogies, slang, and figures of speech you will find you can often “say” in a sentence or two far more than you can with 3 pages of drivel that takes forever to get to the point.
That’s a free lesson in writing emails, my little fledgling.
I wonder how many people will actually use it…
Oh, and speaking of which:
The February “Email Players” issue doesn’t talk about how to “say” more with fewer words (saving that for a future issue this year), but it does reveal perhaps the single most profitable business/marketing lesson I ever done learned from Steve McQueen… a lesson that can also (if you’re a guy) make you 100x’s more charismatic and influential.
’tis a simple little thing.
And, like McQueen’s dialog, lets you throw out pages (so to speak) of trying to write, talk, sell, and convince your way into people buying from you, and gets people eagerly wanting to buy from you without you having to “say” much at all.
She goes to print in about a week.
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Ben Settle
