Today I bring you a rare gem, a secret so powerful, it can work a profound change in every area of your life, including your personal productivity and marketing.
I learned it from Gary Bencievega — a world-renowned copywriter who learned it from Dr.Edward De Bono, regarded by many as the world’s top authority on creative thinking.
The secret is remarkably simple. In the next 60 seconds, it will empower you to open your eyes and see the world in a new way. It will let you uncover many of life’s treasures hiding in plain sight, and can be used to obtain anything you desire far more easily.
It’s called The Secret of the Red Shirts
Let’s imagine that you and I are sitting in a large stadium, watching a rugby match or a music concert (or anything for that matter) on a sunny afternoon in mid-July.
I say to you “look around the stadium. Take a good look and then close your eyes. ” You do so. Eyes closed? Okay. I then ask,” How many red shirts did you notice?” You think for a moment and reply, “Why, I really didn’t notice any. I was looking at the crowd.” Just what I thought. When it came to noticing red shirts, your eyes were wide open but you were still asleep.
Alright, a second chance.
Scan the crowd again, but this time, look for the red shirts. You do so and suddenly notice more red shirts than you can count. Instantly, you have just experienced a quantum leap in your ability to perceive red shirts.
That’s cool, you think. But why is this a powerful secret for mastering marketing … or anything else in life?
Simple.
For the words, red shirts, substitute blockbuster headline. Or irresistible offer. Or product that will make you rich. Or new report that will sell like wildfire. Or career of your dreams. Or love of your life.
You won’t likely stumble across any of these things by going through life staring blankly at the crowd. But you will spot them unfailingly once you look specifically, exclusively and persistently for each.
In short, intention facilitates perception. “Seek and ye shall find” is one of the oldest truisms of life. But it works only when you seek for one thing specifically, exclusively and persistently.
This is why The Secret of the Red Shirts takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.
The problem is we all want many things at once.
Life is so rich and enticing; we flit from light to light like moths at a carnival. We seek not only red shirts. We desire whole wardrobes, awash in a peacock’s palette of colours, and we want them all simultaneously. But as you saw in the stadium of your mind, life reveals its precious opportunities one at a time. To find a red shirt, you must look for a red shirt and only a red shirt, and keep looking for a red shirt until you find one. Then you can move on to yellow shirts, or whatever else you desire in life.
So, what ‘red shirt’ should you be looking for in your marketing campaign?
What do you think is the one thing that could most easily double your response? A breakthrough headline? Hot new premium? A forehead-smacking lead for your letter?
What about your personal productivity? What ‘red shirt’ should you be looking for? What’s the one thing such that by doing it — it would make everything else easier or even unnecessary?
Decide what it is, then start looking for it today. And don’t close your eyes until you find it.
Good Luck and (always) Good Selling!