Find the Hook
Get people excited about your ideas.
Greetings Prosperous Souls,
A few weeks ago, I was on a call with a connection in Hollywood. I’d sent him one of my scripts for feedback.
During the exchange, he confessed, “your writing is good, but I can’t sell this.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s no hook telling people what they’re getting.”
Bummer. I had the skills to craft a professional screenplay, which is hard enough, but a catchy idea that attracts money? That was missing
This exchange taught me a lot about selling. You can have the best product in the world, but if you lack a hook, customers and investors will pass.
What is a Hook?
A hook is a high concept idea that grabs peoples’ attention. It works well in the movie business, where studio executives are incentivized to sell high concept ideas that bring in tons of money.
So, how do you find a hook?
Let’s say you want to sell a shark movie. No one cares. There are a million shark movies and none will ever beat Jaws.
But what if your shark movie takes place in one location, in a bay with a young surfer who’s trapped on a rock during low tide? The water is rising and a Great White Shark is swimming nearby, ready for a tasty meal.
That’s a hook.
Hooks work well in storytelling, but they also help other businesses too.
For example, let’s pretend you’re selling Chinese Fast Food. Calling your business Chinese Fast Food is pretty lame.
But what about a title like ‘Panda Express?’
It’s a hook because it’s catchy and cute.
Everyone loves Pandas, and most people like Chinese Food. When you hear the words, they craft an image: ‘Panda’ cute (also from China) and ‘Express’ (Fast).
Translation? Cute Chinese food fast.
Hooks are powerful because they communicate your idea in a simple way.
In Prosperous Soul, we used a hook strategy to label our online community, My Money Time.
The title works because it communicates exactly what you’re getting — a fun, tight-knit community that’s based around healing your personal finances.
Your Homework for this Week
If you’re a business owner, get alone with God and ask Him to help you craft a hook that best describes what you’re selling.
If you ever get stuck, try to come up with something that sets your idea apart from everyone else’s.
Don’t miss the live meeting this afternoon
Stephen is meeting today at 3:30 PM (CA time). Bring questions! Download your free handout here.
Finding the Hook,
Cory De Silva
About: Cory De Silva is an American poet, singer/songwriter, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He has released two studio albums, acted in three feature-length films, and published a small book of poetry. He is a graduate of CSU Long Beach, and lives in Northern California with his wife, Colleen, and their son, Bryght.