“I once asked this literary agent, uh, what kind of writing paid the best… he said, ‘Ransom notes’.” ~ Harry Zimm (Get Shorty)
Dear subscriber,
There are the struggling artists, there’s the poverty-stricken, and then there’s this bunch:
Poets!
Truly, poets are the plankton of the writing industry’s food chain.
If you hate money, then being a poet might be a good career option.
Now, I’m not hating on poets, in fact, I love to read poetry. If you’re a writer, reading poetry will teach you good word economy. That’s something every writer could benefit from.
But I digress.
Back to broke-arse poets.
Now, like everything else, there’s always an exception to the rule.
And boy oh boy, do I have a good exception to the rule for you.
Get this:
Back in the ’80s, there was a guy who was making money hand-over-fist from writing poems. But don’t expect to see this man’s name amongst history’s most revered poets like Robert Frost or W. B. Yeats.
No. No. Nooooooo!
This cat was different. He was like the Mick Jagger of poetry.
He was packing out venues with his verse, and I’m not just talking small venues, I mean big arenas packed to the rafters with adoring fans. He once sold out Madison Square Garden two nights in a row.
His little poems were like viral sensations, passed around like secret codes among blue-collar workers at the job site. Schoolboys in the playground would see who could retell them the best. At social gatherings, one person would share one of his poems, and suddenly, it’s poetry hour!
His little rhymes became the stuff of legends, making him a cult figure amongst the working class.
He had a secret ingredient for creating little rhymes that resonated with the common man.
And what was his secret ingredient?
It’s very simple. If I share one of his little rhymes with you now, unless you’re a complete dummy, you’ll quickly identify his secret ingredient.
Okay, here’s one of his poems:
Jack and Jill,
Went up the hill,
To have some hanky panky.
Silly Jill forgot her pill,
And now there’s little Franky.
***
You don’t need a Ph.D. in linguistics to crack this poetic code.
Of course, his secret was to use humor!
By the way, the man I’m talking about is comedian Andrew Dice Clay.
I realize Andrew Dice Clay’s humor is not everyone’s cup of tea, but humor is like clothes – there’s a style for everyone. But that’s beside the point.
The point is this:
Humor is one of the most powerful ways to (1) grab people’s attention, (2) connect with people, and (3) win people over.
And if you’re an intelligent salesperson/copywriter, or marketer, you’ll want to inject humor into your sales and marketing messages.
OK.
Question time.
How can you improve your humor?
Would you allow me to answer the question for you?
Why thank you.
Well, you could start by going through the August issue. Now, let me be very clear – it won’t turn you into a stand-up comedian, but I will say this:
Those lucky enough to read it will have a leg up on their humorless competition, that’s for sure.
To get this issue, you’ll need to visit here: https://kelvindorsey.com/mavericks-inner-circle/
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
