Storytelling

Can This Neuroscience-Based Story Structure Produce Mind Control?

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A masked man burst through the door.
Alicia screamed at the top of her lungs and fell back onto her pillow.
Johnny looked up and realized it was time…

Okay, based on the details you just read, what do you think is going on here?

Did you picture a late-night home invasion?

Or maybe it sounded like Alicia and Johnny are at the hospital, just moments away from welcoming a new baby into the world.

Maybe you imagined something totally different.

But chances are that when you read those 3 sentences, your mind assumed they were part of a single narrative rather than random, unconnected sentences.

You automatically made up a story.

(Which is why “facts tell but stories sell” is only half true.)

Everyone’s brain takes sensory input, i.e. whatever you’re trying to say…

Then auto-fills any gaps until it has a story that makes sense to that individual (based on what he already knows, believes and has experienced).

All in a fraction of a second. Amazing, really.

To make sure your reader accurately understands what you’re trying to say (or at least give your message the best possible chance), you have to fill in the gaps yourself before auto-fill kicks in.

And to beat the auto-fill function, you can deliver components to the reader in the specific sequence the brain uses to process and make sense out of stories.

According to neuroscience-based testing funded by the U.S. government (DARPA to be specific), that sequence is actually highly predictable.

To keep this email from dragging on endlessly, I’ll simply list the core components in order of appearance in the ideal story structure:

1) Main characters: Who’s in on the action?

2) Key (initial) characteristics of the characters: What are these characters like? They help shape our feelings about each character.

3) Intentions: What do the characters want? This drives action. Not the same thing as…

4) Motives: Why do they want what they want? This adds flavor to the action and further shapes our feelings about the characters. A man bursting through the door to deliver a baby is vastly different than one who’s about to commit a violent crime.

5) Conflict: What’s preventing the characters from achieving their intentions?

6) Stakes: What happens if the character doesn’t overcome the conflict? If there’s no consequence, there’s no reason for the reader to care.

7) Struggle: What hoops does the character go through in his pursuit of victory?

8) Details: To tell a satisfying story, you need details to paint the scene and add realism.

I know that’s a lot… ironically without much detail.

If your intention is to create more compelling stories, I’ll let you struggle in your attempt to apply this structure.

Who am I to rob you of this all-important conflict?

Have a productive day.

P.S. If 8 components is too many, maybe you’ll like my 3-part story structure better.

P.P.S. This is unrelated, but you may be interested. Next week, I’m speaking at the virtual POP to Millions Summit, and I’d love for you to sign up now.

This summit was created to give you a never-before-seen look at how multiple 7, 8, and 9-figure business owners quickly scaled their revenue in 2022… while keeping substantial profits each step along the way.

My topic is “The 4-I Formula: How to Structure High-Converting Copy.” I’m also giving away an exclusive video training I’ve never given away free before. If you’re interested, you can snag a free ticket here.

Is It Really True that “Facts Tell, Stories Sell”?

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How many times have you heard the sage advice that “facts tell, stories sell”?

Now, how many times have you heard it stated as a fact… instead of illustrated with a story?

Maybe you’re luckier than me. Maybe you’ve heard some good stories “proving” the fact that stories sell.

But here’s what makes it really interesting: “facts tell, stories sell” is both true and false.

Not that it’s bad advice. Quite the opposite. But something important is missing.

With one simple statement, a 10-year old Jeff Bezos made his grandmother burst into tears during a road trip in Texas…

He wasn’t trying to be mean. He wasn’t even trying to be persuasive.

He was trying to show off his intelligence.

The story goes something like this.

During this trip, Little Jeff heard a commercial on the radio saying that every puff of a cigarette takes 2 minutes off of your life. Nana Bezos smoked cigarettes, so Jeff thought he’d do the math to impress and inform his grandparents.

When he came up with his number, he tapped grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life!”

That’s when the waterworks started.

We don’t know if she gave up smoking on that day, but we do know this: that “fact” struck a deep nerve.

Why?

Because stories DO sell… and sometimes the right facts make a person tell himself an emotionally charged story.

Back to the Bezoses:

When Jeff said “hey Granny, you’re going to die 9 years early because of those cancer sticks,” here’s what happened…

Grandma Bezos told herself a story. Could’ve been:

  • This habit of mine is stealing time I should be spending with my grandson
  • My grandson will be so hurt when I’m gone. No more summer road trips… no more birthday cards… when we should have had so many more
  • My behavior is making this sweet boy imagine me dying. How could I be so selfish?

You get the picture.

Little Jeff didn’t have to tell any of those stories. Grandma did that on her own… automatically.

So here’s today’s lesson:

Keep in mind that your clients and prospects are prone to telling themselves stories based on the facts you tell them.

Choose which facts you share and how you share them wisely. Because the facts may lead your audience to draw different conclusions than you think, as illustrated in this video clip:

And YES, tell more stories.

Make sure to tell the stories that tell the stories you want to tell.

The good thing about telling a story (versus stats and facts) is that you have more control over the story that plays out in the other person’s mind. You can more skillfully guide him as he draws his own conclusions.

I may write about how to structure stories for maximum control over your reader/listener’s conclusions.

If you’d like to know more about that, stay tuned. My next article will dive into that.

The 2nd Fastest Way to Make People Care

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My friend Golibe made a great video this week exploring the power of a compelling story.

He briefly highlighted a point I haven’t heard too many gurus talk about:

How “unfair injury” connects you to a story character.

Golibe’s video just touched on the concept briefly, and it inspired me to expand on the idea a little more.

Because it’s a subtle but hard-hitting persuasion tactic.

It’s a key reason we form emotional bonds with characters (even if we don’t realize it) in countless books, movies and even marketing material.

In The Story Solution, Eric Edson says:

“After courage, the second quickest way to bond an audience to your hero is to place that character in a situation where blatant injustice is inflicted upon her.”

This isn’t necessarily the same thing as the “rags to riches” story arc. There are levels to this.

Let me share an example.

I worked with a few years ago who was paralyzed from the waist down as a teenager.

We occasionally mentioned that fact in sales copy. It was the catalyst that drove him to learn the skill he turned into 3 multimillion-dollar business.

One day, the client had the idea to take the story to another level.

He talked about how a group of older teens beat him so badly that he’d never walk again. Then the medical bills crushed his family financially. And that series of events forced him to do something different…  

Fleshing out the unfair injury kept people glued to their screens and practically forced viewers to root for my client.

Sales on that webinar were off the charts. (I don’t remember the stats, but I get there were fewer returns, too.

You can use unfair injury to draw readers/viewers into your copy and keep them emotionally engaged.

Share painful stories — and especially of injustices — against your main character. The more vivid the better.

Maybe your boss gave the promotion you deserved to someone else. Better yet, she gave it to the new guy the one who always wears tight shirts — the guy YOU TRAINED.

There are a thousand variations.

As long as the story is believable, your reader/viewer’s heart will go out to your character, which advances the sale.

That’s your homework: Spend some time thinking about how you can use unfair injury in your own marketing.

It’s not the only trick you’ll use. But it’s a good one to have in your repertoire.

Have a productive day!

P.S. Presenting a perfect picture of yourself in your promotions is less persuasive than you probably think.

I know, it’s a little scary to tell your darker stories.

But it works. It can help you with sales now and retention/ascension over time.

Your ideal clients will feel even more connected to you. They’ll be even more excited to hear from you.

Isn’t that worth a little discomfort?

(Guess that’s up to you to decide.)

The Rise & Fall of Story-Based Emails

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I want to share some intriguing data with you.

And then we’ll discuss how you can turn that data into cash.

Back in June, I worked on a project where we sent 3 emails using 3 very different appeals:

  • Email #1 pointed to a big opportunity
  • Email #2 shared a unique story tied to the opportunity
  • Email #3 went hard on urgency, with a deadline just hours away.

Take a look at some of the raw data:

Let me quickly paint the picture:

Before Delta flared up so fiercely, the travel bug started ravaging the American populace. My client suggested that was a money-making opportunity for investors in the stock market.

That first email pointed out facts: the travel industry was down $4 trillion… but was on pace to more than make that up in the coming months.

The second email took a different approach. I told a story about Qantas Airlines “flight to nowhere” (which Inbox X-Factor members may recognize from one of the Weekly Email Plans)…

…and how that PROVED people were so desperate to travel that they’d get on a plane that landed at the same airport it took off from.

Again, the third message warned the reader he had just a few hours to take advantage of to travel industry’s recovery.

Take another look at the stats above…

The open rates are all pretty similar.

The click-to-open rates are wildly different — and not directly correlated to conversions.

The benefit-driven, “here’s how much you can make” email was the worst performer of the bunch in terms of sales.

The story-based email destroyed the other two in conversion rate. Readers who clicked were at least 49% more likely to buy from this email than the others.

(It’s worth noting that my client sends promos like this every week. The second email is almost always the worst performer of the three. It’s usually not so story-focused, though.)

And the urgency email had the most sales by a wide margin, even though it had a much lower conversion rate. The higher number of clicks more than made up for it.

How Does This Put Money In Your Pocket?

In 3 ways.

Understanding the lessons we learned in this instance (and which I’ve seen bear out in multiple scenarios over the past few months), I encourage you to:

1. Build urgency into your promotions wherever you can (which is probably more often than you think).

This particular client uses urgency the same way week after week after week… and it keeps on working.

It’ll work for you, too.

2. Tell stories more often…

… but consider letting urgency take the lead as you get close to a deadline.

Good stories tend to generate higher quality clicks and significantly higher conversion rates.

By the way, you only need 3 things to write a good story, as you’ll discover in this video:

Bonus: If you’re just unsure about what kinds of stories to tell, here are 7 story-based emails you should be sending your list.

3. Test everything. Even what you think you know for sure.

My data shows that story-based clicks are generally more qualified, but there tend to be fewer of them.

So you test.

That’s who you to find out where the revenue sweet spot is for you.

Now, go forth and conquer – and make sure you send story-based emails about your victories.

This Story Can Put Money In Your Pocket

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“Did you seriously tip that waiter 37 percent?”

Wifey is clearly irritated with me… mainly because we’ve had this conversation before.

“Did I? I didn’t do the math. I just gave a flat $50.” Which is true, but we both knew that I knew I overtipped for our anniversary dinner.

I promised my queen I’d stop “showing off”…

Which explains why she was annoyed when the credit card company sent a message asking if the charge was legit.

But I did it anyway.

So why the heck did I do it?

I was manipulated by the waiter!

And it was so smooth I didn’t even realize what happened until 4 days later.

(It’s possible the manipulation wasn’t intentional, but I doubt it. I’m bet he uses this routine all the time to put more cash in his pocket.)

Here’s the short version of what happened:

We ate at a nice steakhouse in downtown Chicago. Food was amazing and the service was top notch. The guy was attentive, funny, even charming. Very likeable.

As we’re getting close to finishing the meal, the waiter points out a group of men hanging out at the bar… and he starts to tell me a story.

This is so doggone smooth…

He says the group remind him of another group of guys who didn’t want to leave the bar when the restaurant was closing one night.

The ringleader was a high roller. He’d spent about $8 grand on drinks that night. Tipped the bartender $1,000 and the waiter (the guy taking care of us) a couple hundred. Everyone loved the guy. But they didn’t want to keep the bar open all night for him.

Conveniently, the exterminator arrived for their monthly inspection, and our waiter concocted a ruse to convince Mr. Money Bags everyone had to leave.

And everyone lived happily ever after.

See the trick?

The story felt very natural. I couldn’t detect any ulterior motive. It was just another way our waiter was entertaining us during dinner.

But through the story, he introduced a couple insidious ideas:

  • Patrons of this restaurant are big tippers.
  • Waiters recognize your status by now much you tip… and you don’t want to be a man with lower status, do you?
  • Big spenders are admired — and have stories told about them.

He said all that without explicitly saying any of it. And there was zero pressure.

Masterful manipulation for maximum tip.

Let’s call it “maTIPulation.”

Long story short…

Stories can be the powerful persuasive tools.

Use them wisely.

P.S. Want help writing story-based emails that put money in your pocket? Inbox X-Factor is a good place to start.

(Almost) Unlimited Ideas for Story-Based Emails

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I shared this video training in the Email Copywriting Corner, but it makes sense to put it here, too…

Especially if making more money with email marketing is one of your new year’s resolutions.

You may be particularly interested in the 7 types of stories you should be sending to your email list:

Genesis stories: people want to know the story behind why you started something
Idealist stories: illustrate your personal & business values/philosophies with a story
Iron Fist stories: Tales of battle, struggle and victory (or lessons from losses) — either of yours or your customers’
Catalyst stories: Moments, decisions, interventions that caused critical change
Journalist stories: commentary on trending topics or news or little-known truth behind well-known stories
Adventurous stories: Crazy, funny stuff going on in your life
Status stories: Elevate your authority with big name clients, famous friends, recognition, accomplishments.

You’ll have to forgive me. I was really trying to be clever with this bootleg rhyming thing.

Until recently, this training was only available to Inbox X-Factor members. I’m giving you access now to help you kick 2021’s b.u.t.t.

Enjoy!

Dave Chappelle’s Top 3 Copywriting Tips

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As a copywriter or marketer, you should pay attention to great comedians.

They’re phenomenal communicators… creative thinkers who can expand your mind.

More importantly, they attract audiences and keep them spellbound — with little more than words.

This is a skill you can’t afford NOT to have in 2020 and beyond.

And no one does it better than your favorite comedian’s favorite comedian, Dave Chappelle.

Today I’m going to share 3 copywriting tips inspired by Chappelle’s most recent special, 8:46.

Really, I could talk about 7 or 8 helpful copy insights. There are so many gems.

If you haven’t already seen the video, you need to.

I encourage you to check it out before you continue reading the rest of this article.

It’s brilliant. 

(I only wish I was as good a storyteller as Dave. It defies logic how good he is.)

I’m going to try to leave out any spoilers, just in case you decide to keep reading. I know how you are.

Alright, let’s dive in.

Copy Tip #1: Use open loops and callbacks.

At about the 2:10 mark, introduces a hot topic, then says he’s going to talk about it a little later.

This is a topic the audience KNOWS he’s can’t stay away from. Many of them are desperate to hear him address it.

But he teases it anyway. “I’ll talk about it in a minute.”

As a copywriter, open loops like these can help keep the reader/viewer strapped in and attentive.

You make him curious… then you make him wait for satisfaction.

When you do it right, he can’t close the email or stop the video until you close the loop.

And the impact of the payoff can be even stronger when you set it up this way. The anticipation and rising drama make it more satisfying when you finally reveal what you’ve been holding back.

Chappelle doesn’t wait long to close the loop in this case. You can play with the length of time you wait for your big reveal.  

Copy Tip #2: Tight analogies and metaphors are persuasive uppercuts.

3:30 into the video, Dave tells a story about the first earthquake he experienced. He described the confusion and fear he felt.

Then, instead of evolving into a joke, he makes the story an analogy for the topic (in part) he teased in the beginning of the set.

The comparison adds a new perspective to the topic. A new way of looking at something you may feel you already understand.

Or maybe the analogy gives you a frame of reference to understand something you’ve never experienced.

In sales copy, you want to paint a picture that sucks the reader in. You pull them into your world by helping them mentally and emotionally experience SOMETHING related to the thing you’re selling.

Analogies and metaphors are effective ways to do that. These metaphors often take the shape of a personal story.

Your reader already has strong associations with and feelings about certain topics. You don’t necessarily have to create new associations, thoughts or feelings.

The right analogy can unleash the power of those associations and attach them to you or the product/service/idea you’re presenting.

At 10:40, Chappelle shares another analogy in the form of a story.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I was totally transfixed for 3 minutes as he laid out the details.  You don’t really know where he’s taking you, but you’re deeply invested in finding out.

(Again, this is a skill we MUST have in this new decade.)

When he finally ties the story back to the main topic… man. It’s an experience.

Different people will feel different ways about that analogy. One of those feelings is validation — and if you can make anyone feel like he’s been right all along, you’ve probably earned a friend for life.

So analogies are a very useful tool for persuasion.

Copy Tip #3: The copy isn’t about you, but you should weave yourself into the narrative.

My favorite thing about 8:46 is the way Chappelle weaves himself into this topic in various ways throughout the set.

It’s crazy.

Somehow, he links  

  • his birthday (24:28 into the video)
  • his time of birth (at the 9:05 mark)
  • his connection to Kobe Bryant (by some miracle 24 minutes in)
  • a police officer that pulled him over (18:55)
  • his father’s death (5:24)
  • his great grandfather’s place in history (25:50)  

… all into the topic he’s discussing.

It’s seamless and fascinating.

Here’s the big idea. Your sales copy isn’t supposed to be about you. It’s all about your should-be buyer.

But, the more you can smoothly tie yourself into the thing your buyer wants or needs… the more you can build up your authority in the area your buyer is interested in…

The more effective your copy can be. And the more likely you are to take ownership of real estate in your should-be buyers mind even if he doesn’t buy today.

Great copy is focused on the transformation your buyer desires to achieve.

The very best copy reveals that YOU (your product, service, idea) are inextricably linked to that transformation.

Keep that in mind next time you’re writing a sales piece.

Dave Chappelle isn’t a copywriter, but he can teach us all a thing or two about persuasive communication.

I encourage you to study him and other great comedians along with your favorite copy guru.

It’ll pay off in the long run.

Consider Yourself Hooked…

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Storytelling Hooked

Ambition.
Quick thinking.
Ruthlessness.
First kisses.

What’s the common denominator?

According to research from Netflix, these 4 story elements are highly effective at turning casual viewers into a devoted followers.

Through this research, Netflix also knows the precise episode of a series when people become “hooked.”

This is probably NOT the kind of information you’re used to hearing as a marketer or entrepreneur.

But it’s exactly what you need to hear right now — and I’ll tell you why.

While the economy sank into the abyss in March…

My clients experienced record sales. One had beat it’s previous best month by a massive 25%.

A huge part of our success has been telling the right kind of stories to our audience. Another huge factor is that we KEEP TELLING those stories.

We’ll dive into storytelling more in the future, but today I want to encourage you to inject more emotionally-engaging stories into your marketing and the content you’re producing.

Your pains and problems — and how you overcame them…

Your fears and frustrations — and how you found relief…

Your dreams and desires — and how you finally grabbed hold of them (or what you’re doing now that’s getting you closer)…

Even the mistakes you made…

These stories captivate.

If you tell the stories well, they audience will insert themselves into the story, experience some of your feelings and mentally/emotionally prepare to take the action that you took.

Then, keep telling those stories.

According to Netflix “In our research, we found that no one was ever hooked on the pilot.”

The pilot sells the audience on watching the next episode. But without the second and third episodes, it’s easy to disconnect and pay attention to something else.

If you feel like you’re being repetitive, just think of how many people binge-watch 10 episodes of their favorite shows at a time.

No one says, “I wish they’d make FEWER episodes of this show I love.”

It’s a challenge… but it’s a bigger challenge to keep your business running without devoted followers.

The Only Place to Start Your Stories

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Stories Start Here Waldorf Astoria

Last week, I did a Facebook Live video explaining that all stories are not created equal. We talked about a story-based email sequence/landing page combo I just wrote that, in the client’s words, “murdered” the long-standing control. “Murdered” meaning “more than doubled sales.”

(If you’re not a member of the Email Copywriting Corner Facebook group, you missed it.)

Today I wanted to give you a little more insight into writing stories that sell. I’d like to illustrate with a fictional story that created a real-life story. Everything will come together at the end.

_____

Once upon a time in a land called Zamunda, a handsome prince left home to avoid marrying a woman his parents picked for him. The prince wanted to find true love for himself.

Before the king and queen “rescued” their son in the faraway city, they checked into the royal suite at the Waldorf Astoria…
_____

You may recognize this story as the plot of the Eddie Murphy movie Coming to America. When she was a little girl, Coming to America was one of my wife’s favorite movies (mine, too). And even though the Waldorf played a tiny role in the film, my wife dreamed of staying in a room at the storied hotel someday.

The dream came true this past weekend, after nearly 28 years of waiting.

She woke up on the 15th floor of the Waldorf Astoria Chicago on her birthday.

Bryants at Waldorf Chicago

Where All Stories Should Begin

When you write emails with the ultimate goal of selling something (product, service or idea), it is critical that you begin with aspiration.

Getting a room at the Waldorf was one of my wife’s lifelong aspirations. The moment I learned about it, it became MY aspiration to make her dream come true.

Your reader aspires to:

  •     earn more money without abandoning his family 20 hours a day
  •     have gorgeous, healthy hair her friends secretly envy
  •     retire comfortably and ON TIME
  •     find true love without flying from Zamunda to some faraway land
  •     get rid of back pain without surgery
  •     …or whatever.

Connect – and connect quickly – with your reader by telling stories that tap into their specific aspirations. Yes, problems work too; people aspire to live without their struggles.

Your stories introduce them to a world where their aspirations can be realized…make it seem eminently possible and even easy…with the help of your product or service of course.

No hard-selling necessary.

Marketing Wisdom Hidden in Christmas Movies

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We watch a lot of Christmas movies at my house. A lot, like the DVR is 78% full just from Christmas movies.

Most of the time I’m too much of a tough guy (in my own mind) to admit that I like them, but it’s one of the ways my wife and I spend quality time together during the holidays.

Something interesting happened while we were working our way through hours of these movies this year. Some prominent themes jumped out at me as particularly helpful in terms of marketing and business growth. As you’re thinking about resolutions and goals for the new year, these ideas could very well impact how you move forward in 2014. Even if you’re too tough to watch Christmas movies.

1) If It Ain’t Broke…
How many versions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol have been turned into movies (not to mention plays and books)? Dozens.

How many spoofs of the “I wish I’d never been born” motif from It’s a Wonderful Life have you seen?

And I don’t think I can stand to see even one more fake holiday relationship that ends in a marriage proposal on Christmas Eve, followed by the falling of winter’s first snowflakes.

These films are produced year after year after year. And we keep watching them.

One thing that becomes eminently clear as you pay attention what Hollywood is cranking out is that when something works, keep doing it. Too often, entrepreneurs and marketers feel the need to be original and creative. There’s nothing wrong with that desire, but why reinvent the proverbial wheel? The legendary David Ogilvy noted that most marketers “worship at the altar of creativity, which really means originality — the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising.” When you have a message that keeps generating the results you want, don’t throw it away until you find something even better. If a marketing channel is producing high return on investment, don’t abandon it to chase after the hot new fad. Always feel free to test, but don’t give up on anything that hasn’t stopped delivering.

Remember, business owners often get bored with their own marketing before their audience does.

Also, consider taking inspiration from what is working for other successful people and businesses. Modeling is one of the fastest ways to create effective systems, products, services and messages. Sometimes taking a shortcut is the smartest thing you can do.

“Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” ~ Salvador Dali

2) Envision The Alternative
I can’t tell you how many Christmas films I watched over the past month used the aforementioned motif from It’s A Wonderful Life (or the more recent Family Man). The protagonist has some sort of character flaw or they’re about to make a bad decision when they’re magically transported to an parallel dimension where they’re married instead of single, middle class instead of wealthy, etc. They’re “blessed” with the opportunity to see things how they should/could/would be if they did things differently.

This is precisely the purpose of your marketing. You need to create a vision in the mind of your prospect, showing him how much better his life will be when he starts using your product…how much he’ll miss out on if he will be if he procrastinates…the danger he puts himself in if he trusts the “low cost provider.”

Don’t hand out brochures or send emails or make webpages that simply state cold facts about your business, product, service or founder. Tell stories that paint a picture of the better future that comes along with what you have to offer. Answer the question “what’s in it for me?” thoroughly and vividly, from the perspective of the would-be customer.

“We did this” and “we have that” and “BUY NOW” probably won’t get the job done, especially if you haven’t already established a solid base of happy customers.

3) Don’t Buck Tradition
Christmas has more tradition associated with it than most other holidays, and many of the people who uphold them are borderline fanatical about keeping them. In several of the movies I’ve seen recently, commitment to these traditions often drive the plot forward and add structure, silliness or some other significant element to the story.

Roman poet Ovid noted thousands of years ago that “Nothing is stronger than habit.” Traditions are probably a close second.

Pay attention to your customers’ traditions and habits.

Attach yourself and your products to their currently-existing traditions; take a cue from Maxwell House’s Haggadah.

Make it easy to form a habit of buying from you.

4) It’s More Blessed to Give than to Receive
When you were a child, the holidays, including your birthday, were all about the presents you were about to get. In adulthood, most of us (especially parents) find that giving is much more satisfying than receiving ever was.

This concept doesn’t always translate easily into the business realm. We operate our businesses to gain a profit. That’s not just the way it is, it’s the way it should be.

But we should not base our decisions primarily on how we can extract the most money from the people we do business with. Rather, we should commit to giving as much value as possible to the other party. Then we set our prices accordingly. Always give more than you plan to get.

On Christmas day, a terrific story about giving was posted online. You really should listen to The Big Give, a 15-minute story by Jim Signorelli. A lot of things come into perspective as you listen to Jim describe one particularly memorable Christmas.