Isn't That Intriguing?

Sam Horn's Newsletter

In This Issue:

September 2008 

Can You Identify These Slogans?

“Dullness will not sell your product; neither will irrelevant brilliance.” - Bill Bernbach

Every year, Advertising Week selects the top slogans and icons. By definition, these taglines are relevant AND brilliant. Of the tens of thousands of commercials we see and hear every year these are the “sticky” ones – the ones we can repeat word for word years after we first heard them.

Why is that important? Intriguing slogans make their sponsoring companies millions in extra revenue because people tend to buy products and services from likable, “known” brands.

Here are a few candidates for this year’s contest plus some past winners. Be the first to email us with the names of the organizations associated with these eight slogans and you get to pick any two of Sam’s books or CD’s.

"What happens here, stays here" ______________
"Think outside the bun" _______________________
"Just do it" ________________________________
"When you care enough to send the very best" _______
"Imagination at work" ________________________
"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"_____________
"When you care enough to send the very best" _________
"Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'" ____________

Isn't That Intriguing?

”When are you going to understand that if it doesn’t pertain to me, I’m not interested?” - Candace Bergen as TV sitcom character Murphy Brown

Websters Dictionary defines INTRIGUE as 1) to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, fascinating or compelling qualities, 2) to appeal strongly to; captivate.

I have studied the art and science of intrigue for the past 16 years. Why? Quality, talent and hard work are important; but they’re not enough. The first step to success is to get people interested in what you have to say and sell.

The problem is, people today are BB (busy and bored). They have a lot competing for their attention and they think they've heard and seen it all. It takes a lot to capture their interest.

So, how can we get our offerings noticed when people are perpetually preoccupied? How can we get our ideas approved? Our services and products bought? Our books and articles read? Our presentations listened to? Our projects funded?

How? By applying the principles of POP!

The POP! Process takes the guesswork out of intrigue. It provides 25 ways to get anyone interested in anything.

We have several programs coming up to help you develop more intriguing books, presentations and businesses. You’ll discover how to package your communication compellingly so it piques the curiosity of your target audience.

Become an Intriguing Speaker: Do people listen when you talk? Do meeting planners seek you out and ask you back? Have you crafted a topic and title that helps you stand out from all the other speakers? Join us Nov. 1-2 for our Intriguing Speaker Weekend and discover how to design and develop presentations that hold audiences on the edge of their seat. SIGN UP NOW

Write an Intriguing Book: Do you want to write a book that gets read from cover to cover? A book that motivates agents and editors to give you a contract? A book that attracts media interest and creates word-of-mouth buzz? A book that companies buy for their employees? Register for our Nov. 15-16 Intriguing Book Weekend. YES I WANT TO ATTEND Sam's Intriguing Book Weekend

Develop an Intriguing Idea, Brand and Business: What do you say when people ask, “What do you do?” Have you crafted a “tell ‘n sell” elevator pitch that gets people’s eyebrows up? Have you developed a compelling business name and slogan that motivate potential customers to want to know more about you? This full-day workshop at Washington DC’s historical National Press Club will help you clarify your P.O.D. (Points of Distinction) so you can craft intriguing marketing messages that win buy-in for what you have to say and sell. REGISTER NOW for POP! Workshop

The World's Best Job?

“I have the world’s best job. I get paid to hang out in my imagination all day.” - Stephen King

Participants often come up to me after my presentations and say, “You look like you really love what you do.”

I tell them, “You’re right. I wake up every morning eager to get to work. I feel blessed to do creative work that matters with people I enjoy and respect.”

Their next questions are usually, “How did you get started?” or “How can I get paid to do what you do?”

At that point, I refer them to a 3 day webinar series I did with John Carter, (the #1 Internet Marketer of the Year) that talks you through a step-by-step process of how to become an IDEApreneur who monitizes their expertise through speaking, writing, consulting and e-commerce.

If you would like to “get paid to hang out in your imagination” you might also want to sign up for our monthly Sam’s Salon tele-seminar series so you can pick the brain of internationally-known IDEApreneurs. Hear how they came up their business ideas and get paid for their expertise . . . and how you can too.

Register Now

When: Tuesday, September 16 – 8:00 pm EST
Who: Eddie Osterland, America’s 1st Master Sommelier:

Why is Eddie a go-to resource for IBM, Biz Bash, American Express and Crystal Cruises? Because Eddie understands that sophisticated audiences are yearning for something they haven’t heard before. He offers fun, fascinating “didn’t-know-that” insights that pleasantly surprise audiences and turn them into enthusiastic word-of-mouth ambassadors for his work. Eddie will share how he gets paid to pursue his passion – and how you can turn your talents into a full-time career.


When: Oct. 23 – 8:00 pm EST
Who: Kay Cannon 2007 President of International Coaching Federation

As a leader of this 30,000 member association, Kay traveled to 17 countries to grow the coaching industry’s brand, membership and impact. Whether you’re just thinking about starting your own business, already an executive coach, or working full-time in another job and curious as to what it takes to earn a living as a coach, you can benefit from Kay’s visionary insights on how to succeed in this rewarding industry.


When: December 11 – 8:00 pm EST
Who: Fawn Germer, 4-time Pulitzer Nominee
This acclaimed investigative reporter interviewed dozens of trailblazing women (e.g., Hillary Clinton, Susan Sarandon, Ann Richards, Carly Fiorina, Erin Brockovich) for her book Hard-Won Wisdom. A former staff writer for The Miami Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Washington Post and U.S. News and World Report, Fawn is one of the most popular female keynoters in the U.S. with clients including Ford, Motorola and Coca-Cola (whose President Sandy Douglas asked, "Have you thought of doing standup?") Find out how Fawn juggles a busy speaking schedule with writing and kayaking . . . and how you can access and interview topic experts to develop your own fresh, proprietary intellectual capital.

What are You Waiting For?

“I never had to change a word of what I got up in the middle of the night to write.”

The above words of wisdom were just a few of the many shared at this year’s Maui Writers Conference.

Our opening and closing keynoter this year was the inimitable Bryce Courtenay.

Bryce, pictured on the right with conference founders John and Shannon Tullius and me, told us he was contacted by Amazon.com recently with the news that his life-changing novel, The Power of One, has been their 5th biggest selling book for the past fifteen years . . . just after To Kill a Mockingbird. Not bad company, Bryce!

Bryce, one of the most mesmerizing speakers you’ll ever see in action, prowled up and down the stage and growled out an observation, “Writing is a perishable skill,” which rocked us back in our seats.

Why? Many of us tend to put off writing until we’re not so busy.

Hmmm. Do you know anyone who is less busy than they used to be? What makes us think our writing skills will still be there when we’re finally ready to use them?

A recurring theme at this year’s conference is that published authors write — no matter what. They write in the middle of the night; they write before they go to work; they write when they’re exhausted; they write when the words won’t come.

Jacquelyn Mitchard, (her moving novel The Deep End of the Ocean was Oprah’s first Book Club Pick), told us she wrote in her kitchen while her three kids were at school even while grieving over her husband’s sudden death at age 39 which left her with no health/life insurance.

Steve Berry, former lawyer and now best-selling author of The Templar Legacy continued to write even after receiving 86 rejection letters from publishers.

James Rollins, (a MWC Success Story with 12 New York Times Bestsellers to his credit) started writing while operating a 70 hour a week veterinary practice because he realized his dream of becoming an author would never happen unless he stopped wishing and started writing.

Comedian Judy Tenuta said, “My parents always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinated so much. I told ‘em, ‘Just you wait.’”

Are you waiting for the “write” time to pursue your dream? What if those perfect circumstances never come?

If you have a story to tell, a message to share or an idea in mind, carve out a half-hour tomorrow and put your fingers to the keys and your thoughts in print.

Remember, ideas in your head help no one.

In all my years of helping people get their ideas out of their head and into the world, I have NEVER met any who were sorry they acted on their dream; I have only met people who were sorry they didn’t start . . . sooner. Write on.

How Does Sam Help Clients?

Sam Horn helps people POP!, What does that mean? She helps individuals and organizations develop intriguing ideas, identities, niches and pitches that help their business or brand break out. She does this through her books (POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd, which Seth Godin calls “revolutionary”), one-on-one consulting, weekend camps, media interviews (NPR, Investors Business Daily, Chicago Tribune) and presentations (the top-rated speaker at two International Platform Association conventions). She lives and works on a lake near Washington DC's Dulles Airport.

Sam's Upcoming Retreats and Workshops:


2-Day Intriguing Speaker Camp - Houston, TX - Nov 1-2
POP! 1-Day Camp - National Press Club, Wash DC - Nov 7
POP! Certification - Washington DC - Nov 8-9
2-Day Intriguing Book Camp - Orlando, Fl - Nov 15-16


Sam’s West Coast Business Manager, Cheri Grimm, operates out of California
Sam’s East Coast Operations Manager, Jill Anderson, operates out of Virginia
Contact us at:
(703) 232-9757
Info@samhorn.com
www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com - Sam's Blog
www.SamHorn.com