Small? Doubtful, merely corollary to the inarguable proposition that quiet competence trumps motivational bullshit. Every time.
That being the case it follows as the night unto the day that time is better spent developing actual competence rather than sharpening abstract rhetorical tools.
Bob. Your vocabulary is brilliant. But it sounds like you need a big hug. Too bad you don't live closer.
It's amusing to me that people (yourself, one recently banned... and perhaps others) seem to have this notion that I am here to motivate people. I'm not.
As far as I'm concerned, trying to motive people is a waste of time. People are either motivated to get more from their business, or they aren't (either is fine) - and either know
how to get more from their business, or they don't. I'm here to help people who are already motivated get more from their business.
Look, if I wanted to, I could start a sign business today, from my home, with nothing more than my (albeit limited) cunning and the "Sharpie" marker we keep in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Heck, maybe I will.
To promote my new business, I'm going to use my trusty Sharpie to write "Sharpie Signs & Graphics" and my phone number on my car. By "write", I mean "print", because I have the penmanship of a 10 year old. Don't worry: I'll make the message big, bold, and legible. Being a marketing guy and all, I'm also going to make sure that there's an offer and call to action on my vehicle graphics:
"Signs & Graphics FREE tomorrow! Call today!" (the exclamation points are meant to be motivational). For good measure, I'll also use my Sharpie to design some handbills and staple them to telephone posts around town - just to make sure that nobody misses my campaign.
If I open up shop next door to you, put up one of my famous Sharpie signs, and launch my campaign... how much of a competitive threat will I be to your business? If all (commercial) customers really want is a sign, and I offer the same convenience, then clearly I am their man. My pricing is unbeatable. So how many of your customers do you think I will steal?
I know you're feeling argumentative, Bob, but honestly if all you offer is a sign and a price - why don't your customers go elsewhere? Even without Sharpie Signs & Graphics in town, they can buy a sign anywhere, for less money than you charge. Signs are your core product, but not your whole product. There's nothing "abstract" or "rhetorical" about it.
