Know Your XYZs
The great Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, no stranger to violence, once observed that violence and falsehood are inextricably linked. https://t.co/HExOor3zbj
— FEE (@feeonline) September 5, 2020
According to their website, the Foundation for Economic Education have, since 1946, “fought to preserve the cornerstone ideas and principles of economic freedom against the dangerous ideas of socialism”.
I came across them via a retweet of the above, positing that ‘violence and falsehood are inextricably linked’.
Why those on the Hard Left today – especially youngsters – and their MSM sympathisers simply cannot accept their precious dogma unleashes not the social utopia of which they dream, but a corrupt, vile and dehumanising tyranny mirroring the correctly banished Far Right doctrine is heartbreaking. And I’m from a generation whose uniform as teens featured Che Guevara t-shirts under donkey jackets with CND badges on the lapels.
Beyond the political stance, what I noticed about their campaigning was a neat book concept from 2018; The XYZs of Socialism.
How about this for an opening paragraph pitch from its author;
“When a socialist says he wants to give you “the ABC’s of socialism,” you can be sure that’s as far into the alphabet as he’ll want to go. Happy talk, vague promises, political programs, perhaps an angry, envy-soaked tirade or two against the rich—but not much at all about where all that leads. That part always gets a little embarrassing.”
“Where all that leads” is framed as ‘the XYZs’.
And in Socialism’s case, pretty they ain’t, obvs.
When pitching, we similarly must let our prospect “get to the end of it all”.
This could be the ramifications of sticking to a course we consider brings overwhelming risk of inevitable hazardous calamity.
Or it could be the more sunny pleasure of seeing proposed measures or benefits bear fruit.
A line I recall often saying to prospects is such as,
“when you look back this time next year on the past twelve months, what would you like to think?”
This theme would make a noteworthy slide too. Remind your audience that they are well-versed in the ABCs of their situation, project or procurement. So how about now focusing on the XYZs. Which uniquely you can make happen so that it all ends well.