Mike Marchev
Some of you might recognize this as the title of a Toby Keith song. It leads me to the first of three nuggets I would like to share with you today.
- Titles in articles and newspaper columns should be written to capture the reader’s attention. The same holds true for the subject you choose to write in the “Subject Box” of your emails. Don’t rush these important areas of your marketing communications. Don’t get hokey, but definitely don’t gloss over them in haste to get your message out.
MESSAGE: Think Headlines. Give this element of your communication ample time and thought. They are important.
- Once upon a time, the winner of the Honda Golf Championship won by a single stroke: 271 vs 272. The one shot difference translated into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each of these 271 shots carried the same weight as the next. Drives, pitches, putts and mid-iron shots all carried the same value whether the ball flew 300 yards or traveled three inches. Every shot counted. Think about it…and then use your imagination when connecting the lesson to your work.
MESSAGE: Every shot counts. You take them one at a time. Concentrate on your next shot. The scorecard will take care of itself.
- Kurt Busch once won a NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway by .332 seconds after 500 miles and over three hours of racing. .332 seconds. That’s competition. That’s the racing game. That’s your game. Where do you think he picked up the time? The straight-aways? The corners? The pits? In planning sessions leading up to the race?
MESSAGE: Don’t tail gate. It isn’t over until its over. The winner is never that much better, faster, or smarter than the next guy/gal. Just keep driving.
Back to beer and horses. Toby Keith once spotted Willie Nelson at a cocktail party and asked Willie if he would sing a song with him on his new CD. Willie blew him off by saying, “Send a demo to my manager.” Upon leaving the party, Willie asked Toby what the title of the song was.
When Toby replied, “Whiskey for my men; beer for my horses.” Willie quickly replied, “I’m in.” Ah! The power of the title, headline, subject box.
So in review: Work on your headlines, make every shot count, keep at it and don’t give your horses cheap beer.
