Need a New Idea? Try Changing Your Perspective

Written by Michele Pariza Wacek


One definition of creativity states that creative people look atrepparttar same thing everyone else does, yet they see something no one else does.

But even creative people (which includes all of you, of course) can run into roadblocks every now and then. Sometimes it's not possible to see something different. Sometimes you've just been staring at a problem for so long it's now impossible to look at it in any other way.

So what do you do in these situations?

Why not try changing your perspective?

Consider this: A friend of mind who does needlepoint has a design that's mostly black. Rather than simply stitchingrepparttar 108026 design on white canvas with black thread, she's using a black canvas and is stitchingrepparttar 108027 negative aspects ofrepparttar 108028 design instead ofrepparttar 108029 positive.

She changedrepparttar 108030 way she viewedrepparttar 108031 problem. And now she has a really cool-looking needlepoint design that's different from most other ones out there.

Or what about this: An art teacher has her students turn a photograph or object upside down and paint what they see -- not a picture but an arrangement of shapes.

By changing your perspective, you're changing what you see. And when you change what you see, you're more likely to create something completely different.

But -- I can hear you all saying right now -- that's art. That won't help me with my business problem.

Okay, so here's another story fromrepparttar 108032 book "Thinkertoys" by Michael Michalko. Back inrepparttar 108033 1950s, experts proclaimedrepparttar 108034 ocean freighter industry was dying. Costs were skyrocketing and delivery times kept getting pushed back later and later.

Executives atrepparttar 108035 shipping companies kept focusing on ways to cut costs while ships were sailing. They developed ships that went faster and needed fewer crew members to run.

It didn't work. Costs continued to spiral out of control and it still took too long to getrepparttar 108036 merchandise shipped.

Then one day, a consultant changedrepparttar 108037 perspective. Rather than askrepparttar 108038 question: " In what ways might we make ships more economical while at sea?" executives asked: "In what ways can we reduce costs?"

Long Copy Sales Letters on the Web: Hype or Not?

Written by Nick Usborne


I have written before about long sales copy onrepparttar web. But I have more to say onrepparttar 108025 subject.

First, let me be clear about what I’m saying here. I’m not talking about long content pages within dozens of other pages on a site. I’m talking about stand-alone pages...a long, direct response sales letter online, often with its own domain name.

Next, let me say this: long copy works, online and offline.

If you can hold someone’s attention with your writing, a long page gives yourepparttar 108026 space to deliver allrepparttar 108027 benefits, cover allrepparttar 108028 features and address a myriad of reader questions and concerns. So long asrepparttar 108029 letter carries momentum and holdsrepparttar 108030 reader’s attention, people will keep scrolling.

And you’ll get a better conversion rate than you would with a shorter page. This is true offline, and onrepparttar 108031 web also.

However, what I have found is two distinct approaches torepparttar 108032 long, online sales letter. Both work, but do so in different ways.

>> Long copy style #1: Selling with Hype

You probably knowrepparttar 108033 kind of page I mean. Here’s an example ofrepparttar 108034 kind of copy you can expect:

“Income For Life™ isrepparttar 108035 same program being praised byrepparttar 108036 true experts as “...a new breakthrough method that will probably lead more people from broke to millionaire status than ‘Think & Grow Rich,’ ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad,’ and ‘The Science Of Getting Rich’ Combined!””

The copy style is fast, packed with superlatives, thick with unsupported promises and bulging with testimonials given by people who appear to sprinkle amphetamines on their wheaties.

The template for these sales pages is fairly consistent. Lots of highlighted subheads and indents. A breathless pace...andrepparttar 108037 promise of a better life. Success. Wealth. Happiness.

Well, we all want to be happy and most of us could do with some extra wealth.

But how is it that this approach works so well? Many of us look at these letters and are incredulous. And many of us would claim never to be persuaded by such an approach. But hundreds of thousands of people are.

How come? This copy approach has a hypnotic quality to it. It makes promises with such strength and enthusiasm. And in some way, it tempts us into a state of submission. We submit torepparttar 108038 endless waves of promises and testimonials. We succumb torepparttar 108039 thought that maybe, just maybe...this might work...and we might find that extra wealth or happiness.

And yes, even you will turn off your critical faculties from time to time. If you have ever purchased a lottery ticket you have been in this ‘space’...where your desire for a better future overcomes your more rational thinking process. Hey, someone has to win. Right?

The same is true if you have ever felt your brain go soft inrepparttar 108040 face of an enthusiastic car or electronics salesperson. One half of your brain knows you are being persuaded to buy extra features you don’t need and probably can’t afford. The other part of your brain is whispering in your ear, “Hey man, chill. This feels good. Go withrepparttar 108041 flow, listen torepparttar 108042 man.”

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
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