Years ago I shot a TV spot for Budget Rent a Truck with Mike Ditka and, at lunch, asked him how he motivated NFL players to give 110% every Sunday.  Whatever you feel about Mike personally, you have to respect his record and expertise.

"A coach can teach skills, techniques, conditioning, teamwork, and how to win," Mike said. "But no one can teach motivation.  The player has to bring that to the game on his own.  If he doesn't, he's out."

    Ditka recognized that a player's inner emotional drive - motivation -  must precede the rational process of acquiring winning skills & techniques. 

    All emotions, such as hope, fear, greed, lust, or habit must come from within.  Emotions cannot be created by outsiders, but they can be exploited.  Mike's dicta applies to Direct Response Marketing, too:

All Purchase Decisions are Driven by Emotions
and then Rationalized by Facts.

    People think, "I like it! I really need one! I wonder if it works?" In that order.  Emotional affinity always precedes an attentive consideration of your Bullet Points.  Nobody ever brings a resume to a singles bar.

    Ads cannot motivate a fat person to lose weight, a day trader to learn commodities, a young couple to buy a house, or an IT professional to find a new job.  Those purchase decisions are driven by emotions which You Cannot Create.

Your ads can, however, target the emotional mindset of prospects who are on the verge of buying or doing something.

And your brand can give self-motivated prospects a set of competitive features, benefits, and kept promises that lead to their own victory, and yours.

    Emotions can also block purchase decisions.  The most common consumer blocker is Fear of Failure.  "It won't work.  It's bogus. I'll lose my money.  Better not risk it."

    The most common corporate blocker is Fear of Success.  "It might work.  We could make a fortune.  Bbbbut... how would we explain the past ten years of dreadful decisions?  Better not risk it."  

   Case in Point:

Do you feel that any one person who has worked successfully on 200+ brands other than your own could also increase your sales 200% to 2000% in the next year or two?

Or do you need the safety & security of a local bricks and mortar ad agency whose staffers work mostly on brands other than your own, follow orders, and keep sales at a comfortable ± 7%? 

    Those are emotional decisions.

    I can rationally "teach" you strategic skills, creative & media planning techniques, sales & marketing teamwork, and how to win in your own league.

    But I can't  motivate you to pick up the phone.  You have to bring that to the game yourself.

    (407) 895-3092