Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra is a fifteen-time All Star and three-time MVP. He played in 14 World Series games. But what is he famous for?
Mixed up quotes.
Someone once asked him what he would do if he found a million dollars. Yogi said, “I’d find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I’d return it.” When discussing a Steve McQueen movie, Yogi observed, “He must have made that before he died.” Commenting on a pair of gloves, he said, “The only reason I need these gloves is ’cause of my hands.”
On the surface, Yogi seems confused. But perhaps he is trying to convey a deeper meaning for those who care to consider his words carefully. In fact, I think Yogi can teach us quite a bit about the art of writing copy that’s intended to persuade and motivate.
Let’s listen to what he has to say, and I’ll translate his “yogisms” into clear English.
Yogi: “This is like deja vu all over again.”
Translation: Study proven selling techniques. Every generation of writers thinks they are discovering selling for the first time. Many online writers think writing and selling began with the Web. But selling is based on human psychology and has been going on for thousands of years. If you want to learn how to sell today, study the sales techniques of yesterday. To get started, read Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples and Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins.
Yogi: “If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”
Translation: Start with a goal. After all, how can you get someplace if you don’t know where you want to go? Your goal must be specific and measurable: 5,000 subscribers, 135 sales, 750 site hits per day, whatever. This tells you where you’re going and gives you a way to know when you’ve arrived.
Yogi: “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”
Translation: Think before you act. You can easily spend half your time on strategy because it determines ninety percent of your results. Before writing headlines or body copy, collect your facts and study them. Who is your audience? What do they want? What are they willing to pay? What are their fears and desires? What else have they purchased? I’ve created a marketing questionnaire to collect the facts I need for my direct marketing projects. You can use my questionnaire as a starting point or create your own.
Yogi: “You can’t think and hit at the same time.”
Translation: Don’t create and evaluate ideas simultaneously. Idea generation is a right brain activity. Evaluation is a left brain activity. One short circuits the other. Write lots of headlines and copy ideas first. Later, evaluate and choose the best. Separating these two activities produces better results and often saves time. For tips effective brainstorming, see my 6-part series on creativity in direct marketing.
Yogi: “I wish I had an answer to that because I’m tired of answering that question.”
Translation: Provide plenty of solid information. People can distinguish between BS and good information. So don’t shovel a pile of one to cover up for a lack of the other. Have something to say. Say it clearly. Answer all questions. Be specific. In general, long copy outsells short copy. That’s because unanswered questions raise doubts. And doubts kill sales.
Yogi: “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.”
Translation: Don’t swipe copy. When you’re not sure how to write something, the temptation will be to copy someone else. This can range from light borrowing to outright plagiarism. Learning and applying what successful copywriters do is fine. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, you won’t solve any problems with theft. Good copywriters are good because of hard work and experience, not theft.
Yogi: “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
Translation: Build value before talking price. People don’t think about money logically. It’s all about “perceived value.” If I tell you an e-book will cost you $79, it sounds expensive. But if I tell you an e-book is a collection of information that has sold separately for over $5,000 or that the information is the result of 10 years of research, that $79 price tag suddenly sounds pretty good doesn’t it?
Yogi: “Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel.”
Translation: Don’t get distracted by design. Good design is important of course, but you don’t need “pretty” design. Highly artistic design discourages interaction with strong copy. High-end design is like expensive Christmas wrap that no one wants to tear open. In the direct marketing business we say, “ugly sells.”
Yogi: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Translation: Test, test, test. Results are the only facts that matter. You can guess and estimate and reason and predict, but you really don’t know anything until you run a measurable test. Everyone has an opinion about writing, but testing answers all questions and ends all debates.
Yogi: “You can observe a lot by watching.”
Translation: Study your stats. Copywriting isn’t really about writing. It’s about achieving a result: driving more Web traffic, signing up more subscribers, selling a product, promoting your services. Success is measured in numbers. Look at your Web stats, your subscriber trends, your sales, your service inquires, and other sources of data.
Yogi: “We’re lost but we’re making good time.”
Translation: Activity is not the same as progress. All your writing and selling and testing should teach you something. By learning what works and what doesn’t, you empower yourself to make adjustments and improve results. If you don’t learn, you’re simply driving around in circles.
Of course, Yogi also said, “I really didn’t say everything I said.” Maybe. But who cares? Coming from anyone else, quotes like “Pair up in threes” or “I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four,” would seem stupid. Coming from Yogi, it’s sheer genius.
Dean Rieck is one of today’s top direct marketing copywriters. For tips on copywriting and direct marketing, sign up for Dean’s FREE Newsletter or subscribe to the Direct Creative Blog.
Enjoy this article? Please vote for it at Digg. Thanks!
43 comments... add one
#1 Geoff Livingston → 11.15.07 at 10:49 am
Absolutely brilliant, Dean. I love Yogi, and these are great translations ;) Very creative and well written (of course).
#2 Shama Hyder → 11.15.07 at 11:27 am
Great post Dean! A true copy writer can find meaning in even the most jumbled sentences. = )
#3 Yogi Berra Talks about Persuasive Copywriting at Copyblogger : Direct Creative Blog → 11.15.07 at 11:44 am
[…] To the uninitiated, his jumbled statements may be a little confusing. So I translated some of Yogi’s best quotations on persuasive copywriting and published them at […]
#4 Yogi Copy Writing Tips « Constant Click - Internet Advertising & Marketing → 11.15.07 at 11:57 am
[…] Posted on November 15, 2007. Check out these great copy writing tips […]
#5 John → 11.15.07 at 12:15 pm
That Yogi, he’s smarter than the average Berra. Thanks for translating.
#6 Steven Bradley → 11.15.07 at 1:03 pm
You had me at Yogi Berra. I’ve always thought Yogisms had more wisdom in them than quotes from any other person.
Who knew he was a marketer too?
#7 Advice Network → 11.15.07 at 1:05 pm
Here’s one I love. “You should always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”
#8 Connie Ragen Green → 11.15.07 at 5:45 pm
Dean - this just shows how important it is to communicate clearly to your market. Thanks for the great post.
#9 Mike → 11.15.07 at 5:47 pm
Dang fine job, Dean.
Old-Time Baseball Player posts have now replaced Rock Star posts as the best way to convey strategy and gain readers attention…while having a big time doing it.
What’s next ?
I may try a Winnie The Pooh post !
#10 Dave Walker → 11.15.07 at 6:20 pm
One of Yogi’s quotes I live by is “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.”
Don’t live by the books; don’t get tied up in writing theory. Do, do and do again. Learn from the mistakes.
Yogi was brilliant.
#11 Dean Rieck → 11.15.07 at 6:45 pm
Hey, Mike, that’s a great idea. You could start a newsletter and call it “The Daily Pooh.” Hmmm. Maybe not.
My favorite of all time is “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi wrote a book with that title several years ago.
#12 junger → 11.15.07 at 6:59 pm
Great post, Dean — love the analogies and the explanations of the “deeper meanings” of Yogi.
#13 Latarsha Lytle → 11.15.07 at 7:15 pm
Wow…those are radically simple truths of driving a solid business.
And a solid business is not something that just arrives on scene…it takes packaging all of the above into a business or service offering that just makes sense to your targeted audience.
Thanks for giving it to us like it is…
#14 Prosthetic Device: Copyblogger: New Blog Added to Blogroll → 11.15.07 at 8:57 pm
[…] a sample, about the marketing possibilities of Yogi Berra (& Mrs. […]
#15 James - DigitalKeyToInfo → 11.15.07 at 9:04 pm
Really enjoyable post with some good advice. I wonder did Yogi say “I resemble that remark?”
#16 Mark Dykeman → 11.15.07 at 9:28 pm
Nice way of mixing in a pop culture icon with important messages.
#17 This Week In SEO - 11/16/07 - TheVanBlog → 11.15.07 at 10:45 pm
[…] The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing […]
#18 Personal Development for the Book Smart → 11.15.07 at 11:42 pm
Lol… Yogi sure is funny!
#19 The Daily Square - Emma Blowgun's Last Stand Edition | Booksquare → 11.16.07 at 12:02 am
[…] The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive WritingUseful for the information imparted…and the fact that Yogi Berra has a real first name. […]
#20 Make Money Online Blog › Around the Web → 11.16.07 at 2:55 am
[…] 3) The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing […]
#21 Mark Penix → 11.16.07 at 4:03 am
Absolutely great post by Dean here, really original and strong content here. He knows what he’s talking about!
#22 Simon → 11.16.07 at 4:14 am
As someone form the UK, I’m not familiar with baseball, or even, shame to say, Yogi Berra. Though he sounds a hoot. But can someone explain the connection between the baseball player and the Yogi Bear cartoon character? And what can Yogi Bear teach us about marketing? Perhaps we could have a whole series on bears and marketing. There’s Winnie, Yogi, Paddington…
#23 userofmine → 11.16.07 at 6:10 am
Nice ;) Something you may learn from SPAMmers (as well as from Yogi): http://siteofmine.com/spam-psychology
#24 superk → 11.16.07 at 9:30 am
I’m really a sucker for those jazz and baseball-oriented headlines… Great post Dean!
#25 Friday List of Favorites… | Home With Heather → 11.16.07 at 9:48 am
[…] had a guest post by Dean Rieck “The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing”. This articles has some really great “yogisms”. Dean has translated them into clear […]
#26 Dean Rieck → 11.16.07 at 10:22 am
To Simon:
According to Wikipedia, “He picked up his more famous nickname from a friend who said he resembled a Hindu holy man (yogi) they had seen in a movie, whenever Berra sat around with arms and legs crossed waiting to bat, or while looking sad after a losing game. Years later, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after Berra…”
#27 Simon → 11.16.07 at 11:19 am
Thanks Dean. If any copywriters or creatives want some more comedy or amusement, check this spoof video on youtube, called “A few good creative men”.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gYEf8XZKlUU
#28 CED → 11.16.07 at 2:55 pm
Yogi make sense with nonsense. So do good copywriters.
Great post!
#29 Best Headlines of the Week - November 16, 2007 | Nathania Johnson → 11.16.07 at 3:18 pm
[…] The Yoga Berra School of Persuasive Copywriting - Copyblogger […]
#30 Eragonies → 11.17.07 at 6:54 am
wow! I like this post so much..thanks a lot Dean. I think your writing very creative.
#31 This Week In SEO | SEO:Search → 11.17.07 at 7:03 pm
[…] The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing […]
#32 Brandon → 11.17.07 at 7:48 pm
Everybody should be handed a copy of Claude Hopkins’ “Scientific Advertising” when they’re born. It’s more than just a book about advertising; at its core, it’s about learning to motivate people with services rather than inducements.
#33 * MISS UNIVERSE → 11.18.07 at 5:02 am
In the good old days talking like that was considered funny - BUT NOW, every blog or news outlet or comedy talk show would be all over you to the point of driving you crazy
#34 killerog → 11.18.07 at 9:48 am
Great article, although I don’t know Yogi, he has the same kind of quotes as the dutch soccer player, Johan Cruijff.
#35 melkeinvalmis » Arkisto » Kierrätysmateriaalia: Yogismeja ratsastukseen → 11.19.07 at 3:11 pm
[…] järjettömien yhdistelmien tekijänä, tässäpä taas yksi. Lueskelin illalla Copybloggerin artikkelia Yogi Berrasta ja hänen “lentävistä lauseistaan” sovellettuna hyvän (myyvän) tekstin […]
#36 Jeremiah - Simpletiger → 11.20.07 at 1:43 pm
“If nobody comes, nobody can stop ‘em”
This sort of explains how if you don’t get traffic, don’t fret, just keep working, it’ll come.
Good post!
#37 In Defense of Ernie Merrick → 11.21.07 at 4:30 pm
[…] the wise words of Yogi Berra: It’s like deja vu all over […]
#38 Did you know…? at Poetbloggs’ Blog → 11.22.07 at 6:20 am
[…] Yogi Berra was the most articulate man of the 21st century. Profound thinking. […]
#39 Bits for November 26, 2007 - Dave Burke → 11.26.07 at 8:50 pm
[…] Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing. I loved this post, mainly because I love every quote I every heard attributed to Yogi Berra. Sayings like “You […]
#40 links for 2007-11-27 : Bob Plankers, The Lone Sysadmin → 11.27.07 at 1:17 am
[…] The Yogi Berra School of Persuasive Writing | Copyblogger I love Yogi Berra quotes, and Copyblogger turns them into good lessons about writing. […]
#41 That’s Gold Baby: The best 10 posts by Luke Houghton in 2007 → 12.28.07 at 7:43 pm
[…] so I stole Brian Clark’s technique… and it worked. I was reading the news as I do everyday when I read a comment by Shatner […]
#42 Maggie → 02.05.08 at 10:20 am
Great inspiration. Thanks!
#43 Zach Beauvais Online » Blog Archive » Copyblogger and Yogi Berra → 04.01.08 at 1:53 pm
[…] just read an ingenious article over at Copyblogger about mixed messages and Yogi Berra- more famous for befuddled witicisms than for being one of […]
Leave a Comment