Writing to repel, Matt? Wtf is this?
Yes my friend, writing to repel is truly a thing.
If you want to see someone do it well, check out Ben Settle and Dan Kennedy.
If you want to see someone do it great, check out Jay Abraham.
Why is Jay Abraham better at repelling?
It’s because it’s integral to his personal identity, behavior and brand.
Ben does it as a copywriting tactic.
Dan Kennedy as a strategy.
Jay Abraham does it as his identity. It’s who he is.
Going back 35 years, Jay positioned himself as a $5000 an hour marketing consultant.
That alone will repel 95% of business owners out there.
“Who’s gonna pay $5K an hour?! Not me!”
It soon became part of his brand.
One of Jay’s first real successes was a full-page ad run in Entrepreneur magazine. The headline?
“Why I hate Jay Abraham.”
It was an endorsement attesting to Jay’s unconventional business and personal behavior.
“Winning Through Intimidation” author Robert Ringer (another marketer with an astute understanding of the art of repelling) was the signator on the ad.
But no doubt, Jay wrote it.
Jay wrote another ad early on called:
“The Marketing Genius Who Is Afraid To Fly.”
The premise being if you wanted Jay’s advice you had to visit him.
Never the other way around.
Repelling was Jay’s way of differentiation.
He didn’t chase. He didn’t pursue. He didn’t follow up.
Unlike Ben and Dan, where you can see exactly what they’re doing to persuade you with not-so-subtle takeaways, Jay was authentic.
He didn’t learn it from “the masters”, it was who he was.
And clients (sometimes grudgingly) put up with his eccentricities because he had the goods.
I have other friends who have the goods and naturally repel. They’re kinda lovable in a weird sort of way.
And that’s their appeal. They’re not putting on airs. They have no desire for you to “like” them. They’re not trying to be something they’re not.
They’re rarely on social media, and when they are, they can seem rather cantankerous.
Until you get to know them 😉
They’ve found their groove and it works for them.
If you want to emulate the art of repelling, I encourage you to follow the writing of all three – Settle, Kennedy and Abraham.
Talk soon,
–Matt
