Catch more flies with honey

What do you get when you add the phrase "you'll catch a lot more flies with honey" to the other phrase "it's not what you say but how you say it?"

You get a lesson in copywriting.

Most often, both phrases are used in the context of a personal relationship but they have significance for our professional communications as well.

The other day, I was skimming a newsletter and had to laugh and appreciate a newsletter editor's insight into this notion of mixing honey and how you say something.

Like most newsletters these days, it has a very US Today (snippets of info) layout. But, the center spread had a large, bold subtitle that immediately caught my eye...and had me reading the entire section word for word. 

The subtitle - "For Achievers Only." Now, what discerning reader is going to skip over that section?

How could you use that same idea in your business?  Do you dabble some honey on your copy?

Related posts:
4 things you can learn from reality shows
I still wish I had written this
Do your words caress your wares?

Comments

[Dan Schawbel]

You need honey to attract bee's, but what about people?

[Drew McLellan]

Dan,

I think the way we use words -- is honey or not. How in sync are we with the reader's needs or worries? How do we use copy to invite people in?

That's the honey I was speaking of.

Drew