From the laptop of:
Jan-Michael Britten
England, United Kingdom.
Dear stranger on the internet,
Would you ever steal a baseball from a little girl?
Crazy question, I know!
But stay with me—this is going somewhere…
Back in 2011, a wild news story went viral.
During a baseball game, an Arizona player tossed a foul ball into the stands, aiming for a little girl waiting with her arms stretched out in pure excitement.
She caught it.
But then, out of nowhere, a woman swooped in, snatched the ball straight out of her hands and left the crowd gasping in disbelief.
Evil, right?
Or was it…?
But…
What if I told you that what she did isn’t so different from what you and I do every day without even realising it?…
Not convinced?
Let me explain…
Have you ever:
Jumped lanes trying to get ahead in traffic even though you knew everyone else was stuck waiting too?
Lied about not being able to make it to a social gathering even though you knew you were available to go?
Kept quiet in a restaurant when paying the bill even though you knew the waitress had forgotten to add an item?
I know I’ve done at least one of those things…
AND I’m willing to bet you have as well.
No judgement, don't worry.
Heck, if I’m being 100% honest, I’ve probably done all three!
These choices aren’t logical…
They’re driven by a primal instinct inside of us that fuelled our evolution as a species…
One that helped us navigate danger and avoid risk.
By prioritising our own needs we were more likely to live long enough to reproduce and pass on our genes.
It's the reason we're still around today.
Now, of course, in our modern world things are different…
These days, it’s no longer just about our physical existence…
We also crave things like status, fulfilment, meaning and purpose in our lives.
When that woman stole the baseball, she wasn’t thinking “I’m going to break this little girl's heart and make her cry”…
No, her instinctive response was “If I get that baseball, I can give it to my own little boy and he’ll think I’m the best mum in the world!”
See the difference?
One is a premeditated act to hurt someone else…
The other is an automatic urge to help yourself.
And you know what?…
That instinctive response…
That automatic urge…
Because at the centre of every action:
Every click, every share, every purchase…
Is a weighing of the pros and cons.
If the benefits outweigh the drawbacks…
The decision’s a no-brainer.
It isn’t selfishness. It’s human nature.
In fact, the sooner you accept this critical mindset shift, the faster you’ll be able to answer a simple 5-word question…
This question is the key to writing content that unlocks what your customers truly value.
It helps you see things from their perspective…
And tap into their core desires.
All you’ve got to do is ask yourself…
Remember, your customers won’t engage with you out of charity.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
They don’t owe you anything.
If you want them to take you seriously, you’re going to have to earn it.
You’re not selling a product or service.
You’re selling a promise.
A promise that by giving you their attention…
Their lives will be better in some way as a result.
That’s all they care about.
Put them first and you’ll NEVER have to worry about being second choice.
Until next time,
Jan-Michael “what’s in it for you?” Britten
P.S. When I sat down to write this for you, the ONLY thing on my mind was that simple 5-word question…
Why?
Because this letter isn’t for me.
It’s aimed at ONE very specific person…
YOU.
To get you to read it…
I had to prove it was worth your time and effort.
The fact you’re reading this line is evidence it was or you wouldn’t have made it this far.
If you want to achieve the same thing, it’s not rocket science.
Find out what your customers truly value and then give it to them.
It really is as simple as that.
