Posts by Nick Papple
People Who Buy ______ Are Stupid
You should sell the benefits not the features. How many of you have heard this before? A show of hands. Today I’m going to show you the difference between a good salesman and a great one. Hint: Great salesmen sell more than just the benefits. A column I enjoy reading every week is the New York Times Sunday Routine — where…
Read MoreWhy the Masters Doesn’t Start ‘Til the Back Nine Sunday
AUGUSTA, Georgia — Lining up his birdie putt on the ninth green at Augusta National, Jack Nicklaus suddenly stops. The crowd, one hole behind him, roars then roars again. Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros both made eagles in the 1986 Masters. After the crowd settles, Nicklaus turns to the gallery and says, ”Why don’t we see if we…
Read MoreThe TRUTH About Live Videos (Hint — they’re not as great as you probably think)
When Ernest Hemingway was 30 years old he was lauded as the best American author to emerge from World War I. Hemingway wrote A Farewell to Arms that year — a book The Washington Times called, “a towering ornament of American literature.” I’m currently rereading A Farewell to Arms — The Hemingway Library Edition — and I was surprised to find…
Read MoreHow to Be the Calmest Person in the Room
There are 13.5 seconds left on the clock in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball final. The North Carolina Tar Heels trail the Villanova Wild Cats by three points. The Tar Heels inbound the ball to guard, Joel Berry, who dribbles up the court. Just past half, senior, Marcus Paige cuts behind the three-point line. Berry…
Read MoreOne App I’m Using
Hey, Today we’re going to mix things up a bit. I’m going to give you a quick-and-dirty review of an app I’m using (screenshots included). The app is called Primer and it’s by Google. I’ll tell you: The backstory on Primer. How Primer works. Why I like Primer. What I’d change about Primer. [Note: I…
Read MoreMaster Persuader vs. the POTUS
“When Trump asked his rally audience to raise their arms and promise to vote for him, critics compared it to the Nazi salute. On the level of reason and logic, this comparison is ridiculous. People also raise their hands to take the pledge to be citizens of this country. “But logic and reason don’t matter.…
Read MoreAre You an Original? (3 Ways to Find Out)
“Now, some of you are not going to like the results of this study,” says Adam Grant. “We can predict your job performance and your commitment just by knowing what web browser you use. “There is good evidence that Firefox and Chrome users significantly outperform Internet Explorer and Safari users. They also stay in their jobs 15…
Read MoreTesla had a rowdy night…
What happens when you invite a small group of your closest friends to LA to show off your new ride? (source: TechCrunch) Elon Musk: “The range will be an EPA rating of at least 215 miles [per charge].” Audience: *Applause* “Wow! Go, Elon!” “Yeah, Elon!” Last night, Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s Model 3 and the…
Read MoreThe Secret to Tony Robbins’ 38 Years of Success
“I always tell people — Life supports what supports more life. If you’re trying to support yourself, you’re going to get a certain level of insights. If you’re trying to support your family, you’re going to get a different level of insights. If you’re trying to support your community or humanity, you get insights most…
Read MoreThe Golden Circle: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Why is Apple so innovative? If you watched Apple’s launch event yesterday, you might be thinking, ‘What a dumb question.’ ‘Apple didn’t unveil anything innovative.’ But of course, you’d be wrong. The highlight of Apple’s launch event yesterday was not any of the products or lower price points ($399 iPhone, helllo). The highlight was seeing…
Read MoreHow to Captivate 90% of a Room in 10 Seconds or Less
Friday 8:00 a.m. — You’re in class. You’re tired, and you’re telling yourself you’ll never go out on a school night ever again (lies). You’re in no mood to learn what the definition of deindividuation is… 12:00 p.m. — Classes are done for the day and your BFF just sent you emojis of a burrito…
Read MoreHow to Ask Powerful People for Favors (6 Steps)
Too many of us don’t know how to ask for what we want. Or worse, we try to disguise our ask by fake “helping others” before we ask (SEE: Seth Godin’s post onHacking Reciprocity). Today, we’re going to fix that. I’m giving you a simple 6-step plan to ask for anything you want through email…
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