Energy of the Object

With a follow-up in the works, I note that upon seeing the results of actor Gary Oldman play his spy character George Smiley in the 2011 movie version of Tinker Tailor..., author John Le Carré was fulsome in his praise.

Worried prior to some degree apparently that it was an almost impossible part to portray, his relief was joyous. Even remarking that the (subsequently Oscar nominated) thesp had "what painters call the 'energy of the object' ".

I instantly loved this as a selling concept. (In similar sphere as "aura".)

Here's how I read one artist describe it;

To paint the grip instead of hands. To paint the walk instead of the feet. [To which might you add] To paint the thought instead of the gaze.

Other examples found around the web include;

• to communicate what the [object] stands for
• capture the spirit being expressed
• undertaking an act of translation and reconstruction

I then (misguidedly?) asked an AI bot.

Starting with its intro of "the intangible quality or force that the object seems to exude", there followed five bullets, speaking of emotion, vitality and dynamism, (although some of its 'rejected' drafts had richer insights; conveying presence, perspectives & personal connection) and a vacuous, vapid, vanilla summary.

You can sadly see this in the wayward default setting of pitching in 'features mode'. Amount of your wares' object energy soaked up by the prospect? Nil.

This construct I think goes a bit beyond sizzle-over-sausage. As that's primary reminder is to talk benefits above function. Farther too then the heralded 'value' that should be the cherry on top of such sizzle. This is more about a different 'F'. Feeling.

How will the benefits that using your features leave the client feeling?

From where will such feelings come from?

What evokes them from where they're at today?

Which data is actually better embraced as embodiments of those feelings?

For Le Carré, he saw this in his creation's depiction as "a man waiting patiently to explode".

Which ironically is possibly a state your prospect's in if things carry on without your help.

Can you bring that explosion to life as one they shape, rather than suffer?