How You Can Use Words to Perform Magic

WIP. Definitely worth a second listen.

PDF enhancement : https://hc.a.bigcontent.io/v1/static/MagicWords_ENHANCEMENT

Tips : 

Want to promote readership of your posts and tweets? Use the word "you" more often.

Highlight hurdles - if people perceive you as competent, then telling them about past struggles will make them like you more. Not less!

Build a roller-coaster - the best stories blend highs AND lows. Successes are amplified by the contrast with failures.

Smooth sailing is not as engaging as a bumpy ride - when it comes to story-telling and presentation 😊

Plugging something that is sensual - like a movie or a massage parlor? Then use emotional language. What to plug something with utilitarian value like a tool? Then leave out the emotions!

Connect and THEN solve - begin with warm, emotional language. 

Evoke uncertain (Eg. surprise) emotions at start of a presentation. 


You can use similarity to grab/hook, and then difference as a novelty. 

Use concrete phrases to convey sincerity - that you listened and understood. "I'll look for that grey shirt" Vs "I'll look for that top."

Enhance your presentations : Drop hedges (may/likely). Be confident. Speak in the present tense. (applies to online reviews also - "has the best food" vs "the lamb kebab was great" (past tense).

Word analysis of a loan application can tell you who is more likely to repay/default. Those who use the word "God" are more likely to default 😊. Defaulters are more likely to focus on the near term (Eg. next month). Repayers talk about themselves (I'll, I'm, etc) and defaulters talk about others. When defaulters talk about themselves, they use "we" rather than "I". (Reminds me of "the anonymous 'we'" from Principles, by Ray Dalio). Defaulters' writing style has a lot in common with that of liars and extroverts. Online shoppers who use only lowercase when entering name and shipping address are more then 2x likely to default. Those whose email address includes first and last name, though, are less likely to default.



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