Find the Hook

By Guest Author Cory De Silva

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.

One Way to Boost your Success

By Guest Author Cory De Silva

I went to a coffee shop last week and overheard an entrepreneur on a sales call.

During the conversation, I discovered he was offering an AI program to the superintendent of a local high school.

He and his co-founder had created a program that worked well in one school, and they were hoping to expand it into another.

This entrepreneur, probably in his thirties, seemed tech-savvy and sharp. But there was nothing remarkable about his appearance or dress.

What did stand out was the confidence in his voice.

He spoke with authority. He was assertive, yet not aggressive. Confident, not arrogant.

Just listening to him made me think: This guy’s going to be successful.

Make Yourself Likable

This experience reminded me of something Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, once said:
“Attractive people rule the world.”

Why? Because good looks appeal to us on a psychological level.

There’s a reason we retreat from spiders and cozy up to puppies.

Humans are hardwired to recognize beauty and move toward it.

But what if we’re not conventionally attractive?

It’s true…most of us don’t look like Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie.

But in many cases, we can control how we dress, behave, and carry ourselves.

Looking back on that moment in the coffee shop, I believe the Lord was showing me something.

The entrepreneur’s attractiveness wasn’t in his appearance. It was in the confidence of his voice.

And that confidence made me want him to succeed.

Your Homework This Week

Ask God for any steps you can implement to make yourself more attractive. By “attractive,” I mean easier to root for.

Does it mean dressing a little sharper? Shifting your mindset? Sitting up straighter at dinner?

Ask the Lord for something small but transformative.

The goal isn’t to impress people.

It’s to carry yourself in a way that invites favor.

Don’t miss the live meeting this afternoon

Stephen is meeting today at 3:30 PM (CA time). Bring questions! Download your free handouts here and here.

Supernatural Stewardship

Last week, a business-owner client of mine shared a vivid dream with me. In it, he was being consulted by a wealthy investor who said, “The problem is that your […]

 

This content is for our paid members. You can see our membership options here.

Hope For Small Business Owners

We all know running a business is hard. Studies show that only 50% of small businesses survive their fifth year. That number falls to 30% by the tenth year.

Knowing this, how do business owners find the strength to go on?

It all comes down to faith.

When times get tough, our connection with God can transform obstacles into breakthroughs.

How do I know this? Because it’s all throughout Scripture. What did Jesus tell His disciples time and again in the New Testament? “Don’t be afraid.” — Mark 5:36

Even the angels reminded panicked humans in times of uncertainty: “Don’t fear.” — Daniel 10:12

What was the outcome of these proclamations? Breakthrough.

Fear leads to death and misery. Trusting in God leads to hope, joy, and new life.

If you’re a business owner, I want to pray for you. Let’s come together and ask God for breakthrough:

Father, I come before You now and ask You to bless the work of our hands. Give us the grace to serve Your vision for our businesses. Where there is lack, bring abundance. Where there is stress, bring peace. Align our thinking with Your perfect wisdom. Holy Spirit, teach us how to prosper so we can build a legacy that bears fruit in our organizations and imparts lasting hope to our children’s children.