Empathy, the greatest driver of innovation
The People Formula Book Study # Three
“Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World
By: Brendan Kane
Background: Brendan Kane’s latest book forced me to shake the rust that accumulated in my brain that I didn’t know was there. “Hook Point” came to my attention from a friend who had read it and said it transformed his thinking regarding his marketing outreach. GOOD GRIEF! He was right! Brendan Kane and his “entrepreneur growth bible” will help you master the art of grabbing attention quickly. Brendan emphasizes the key to success is to be genuine, loyal, engaged and supportive of your clients / followers. This supportive mindset coupled with the ability to adapt to shifts in consumer attention are the keys to prosperity for all. Each chapter is a treasure trove of actionable information and resources for developing your own “Hook Point” as well as sharing it with the broadest audience possible. Brendan offers that brands are doomed if they make themselves the spotlight. Instead, bring value to your audience. “Hook Point” will enable you to become a leader of transformation.
About the Author:
Brendan Kane is an out of the box thinker for Fortune 500 corporations, brands, and celebrities. He thrives on helping his clients systematically engage new audiences that reward relevant content, products, and services with their attention and spend. Brendan’s greatest strength is unlocking value. He transforms complexity into simplicity with tools and methods that amplify growth and enable execution. Starting his career at Lakeshore Entertainment, Brendan oversaw all aspects of their interactive media strategy. He worked on sixteen films that generated a worldwide gross of $685 million and pioneered the first-ever influencer campaign to effectively promote Lakeshore’s movies. Brendan went on to build social media applications and digital platforms for celebrity clients such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Michael Strahan, supermodel Adriana Lima, and pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. He also served as vice president of digital for Paramount Pictures and helped scale one of the largest social optimization firms in the world, that worked with brands such as Disney, Fox, NBC, Netflix, Xbox, LinkedIn, and many notable Fortune 100 companies.
Chapter 1: Meet hook point, your new secret weapon
A hook point can come in many forms and is attached to an authentic and compelling story that builds trust and credibility while providing value. Hook points can be used both online and offline and are meant to grab an audience’s attention in the shortest time possible.
The chapter, like the rest, has great examples that start your brain working immediately. My greatest challenge of the chapter was to stop modifying and creating my own content and keep focused taking notes on the book. The chapter is an idea generator that will immediately make you feel deficient yet energized to begin the challenge of creating your own hook points. Brendan continually emphasizes that a hook point needs to stay true to who you are as a brand and he provides many great examples of companies that have done that well and thrived and those who haven’t and perished. Brendan’s analysis forces you to dig deep in yourself and your own brand and how you present it to the world. He offers that hook points need to constantly evolve as markets change and become saturated. A great hook point can change the world.
Chapter 2: Tesla, the Blair Witch, and your guide to creating a perfect hook point
“Hook points subvert expectations, grab attention and give a new perspective on a familiar topic.”
Creating a perfect hook point starts with the question: How can I solve my audiences specific pain point or problem and what is an outcome my audience is seeking that they have yet to find?”
This chapter commences the process that continues throughout the book. To create hook points you really need to understand your audience at a deep level and the challenges they have. The next step is to think in terms of the resources, products and services you have that can solve those priorities and challenges. A great hook point combines those elements and presents it in a unique way in order to capture the attention of your audience so you can bring value to them. Brendan continually emphasizes the importance of staying audience / client focused and bringing solutions into their lives. He reminds us that you can’t tell a story people have heard 100 times. You have to find out what makes you unique and relevant in other people’s lives. Dig deep to give a new perspective or outlook on a familiar topic.
Here are just a few of the numerous strategies and techniques Brendan offers for creating your hook points:
- Use as few words as possible
- Remain true to you and your brand
- Make people think differently and subvert expectations
- Doesn’t make people think too hard
- Doesn’t make people think too little
- Can be grasped quickly
- Creates curiosity
- Offers a solution to a pain point
People love to buy but hate being sold to.
Chapter 3: 60,000,000,000 messages a day: How to fight your way through the noise.
“Provide value for your audience with media created just for them.”
Brendan continues to emphasize the importance of maintaining your focus on your audience and creating imagery to stop them from scrolling past your post. This is about using hook points in your digital content and videos. Brendan describes the “picture superiority effect” and how people would rather look at an image than read. Brendan discusses in fantastic detail how the media-based websites work, use algorithms and many other technical details that can best be understood if you check out one of the many great resources he offers on his blog: www.brendanjkane.com/bkblog.
Brendan uses many examples of how not to be boring and deliver content at the right pace. In order to capture attention, fight your way through the noise you have to create imagery that is satisfying in three seconds. The imagery must be:
- Satisfying to watch
- Moving at the right pace
- Linear in delivery
Chapter 4: Become president and save the planet: Mastering the art of storytelling
“Communication isn’t about you, it’s about who you are speaking to.”
One of the most important facets of effective storytelling is authenticity. An effective strategy that Brendan suggests is utilizing the Process Communication Model (PCM). The PCM identifies six types of vocabularies used by individuals as their preference. We are all a blend of all six types, but we tend to lead with one consistently as well as look for the same when someone is communicating with us:
- Thinkers look for LOGIC
- Persisters speak to VALUES
- Harmonizers resonate with FEELINGS and COMPASSION
- Imaginers use IMAGINATION as their currency
- Rebels enjoy HUMOR
- Promoters use CHARM
Brendan offers that when crafting your communications insert vocabularies that can speak to each type in order to communicate with the largest audience. The key to authenticity is to ensure congruence between the message as well as the emotion.
The theme of a follower focused strategy persists with Brendan observing that when you build a loving relationship with your audience you will build better stories and touch more people’s hearts.
Lastly, Brendan provides four steps to creating great copy:
- Ask a “yes” question
- Reveal your expertise
- Call out your personal discovery
- Send them to do something
Chapter 5: How to avoid prison time. A master class in authenticity, trust and credibility
“You have to know what you are authentically good at in order to succeed.”
The chapter focusses on understanding your companies “why?” Brendan offers that customers don’t buy what you make they buy what you believe. He goes on to suggest reading Simon Sinek’s book, “Start with Why.”
Meeting people organically, providing value and connecting with them authentically builds enough trust and credibility to gain new potential business opportunities. Continue to set clear expectations and be honest with yourself and others.
Brendan does an excellent job of explaining the power of saying “No” and to only take on projects that speak to you. Often times doing so will actually create greater demand. Brendan generously quoted seven of my techniques to build trust in a meeting from an article written by Eric Barker:
- Nonjudgmental validation
- Focus on the other person
- Listen with your full presence
- Ask about the other person’s challenges
- Establish a time constraint
- Smile and open ventral displays
Seek clarification to avoid manipulation
Chapter 6: Learn to listen, listen to learn
“Don’t focus on what you want to say, rather on what people want to hear.”
The chapter is about “the gold mine that lies between your ears.” Brendan Kane offers some great “brain” strategies to keep your mind and ideas active and productive while maintaining flexibility while anchoring in your brand. He stresses the importance of listening to and observing client responses to your presentation on the fly and adjusting as needed. A powerful adjustment you can make before entering a meeting is to imagine how you will be a resource for their success.
Maintain your own emotional stability and bring your best self into a meeting helps you listen more intently.
The chapter challenge, “A question a day keeps the pain away.”
- What are your most important goals and objectives?
- What are your obstacles to achieving these goals?
- What are your organization’s pain points?
- What are your biggest pain points in your current position?
Then ask them, “If I can solve this problem would it be helpful?”
Chapter 7: Take everything I have – it’s yours for free: How to accelerate demand for your brand.
“The more value you give the more value you get.”
Fantastic chapter on focusing on the value you offer and not the sale. Brendan offers when you help people personally, they are more likely to trust you. The key is to expect nothing in return.
Business is founded on relationships and the ability to create and maintain them is essential. Ninety nine percent of job seekers fail because they focus solely on their own needs during the interview and not what value they bring to the organization.
Here are a few key concepts Brendan offers throughout the chapter:
- Every industry is the service industry
- Speak in terms of the service the person will receive and how they will prosper
- Connect, build relationships and provide value
- Don’t focus of selling your service, focus on how to provide value with your service
Chapter challenge, the Fulfilling Needs Exercise:
- Take ten minutes to write down all the things you are good at, personal and professional.
- Prior to your next meeting or interview keep these things in mind and think strategically how these skills can be of service to the interviewer / organization
Chapter 8: From hook to scale, the secret to 1.6 billion in 48 months
“Don’t try to create traffic, go where it already exists.”
The chapter offers many insightful ideas and creates what I term “vectors” for revenue and idea streams. Brendan suggests that it is easier to find people than to attract their attention. Don’t start from scratch, go to where the people already are.
Speaking engagements drives business and a key to getting more of them is to provide relatable case studies when sharing your ideas. Through your relatable anecdotes and content that solves pain points you are positioned well to get referrals and grow your reach.
It is critical to also think ahead and ensure your hook points are scalable for the business. If you target beyond your own demographic you will have a larger reach and find true fans more quickly. With a larger reach you have greater opportunities to have your content in front of change makers.
To continue to scale up, ensure you are hitting as many online as well as offline markets for your ideas. Beyond YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Face Book look at getting on podcasts as well as traditional print media. Brendan says that he says yes to every opportunity he can, big and small, because you can always grab a new audience.
Chapter 9: Standing out as world class, and how to get Scarlett Johansson to eat hot wings with you
“The most successful people are humble; realize they don’t know everything and are hungry for knowledge.”
According to Brendan, making high level connections and relationships requires building trust within the individual’s circle of trust. You must continuously assess the needs of these individual’s and offer efficient strategies. Once you are inside the circle continue to focus on trust. Don’t sell, listen to their problems and offer solutions. These high-level individuals are looking for people with high social credibility, so keep yours up to date. If you are good at what you do and honestly try to offer solutions, you will go far. To come up with unique solutions continually ask yourself, “what keeps the CEO up at night?”
Once again, Brendan highlights humility as a means for prosperity. Assessing when weakness equals success and being aware of your strengths and your weaknesses. The most successful people are humble, realize they don’t know everything and are hungry for knowledge. The ignorant person believes they know everything, stop learning and fail.
Be observant of other people’s success and let it guide you in creating yours.
Chapter 10: Your hook point is dead, long live the hook point
“Empathy is the greatest driver of innovation.”
As your “hooks” grow older you will need to continue to innovate, evolve and continuously think of your clients, their pain points and your unique solutions.
Brendan offers these questions by founder of Works Collective, Nate Morley. Answering these questions helps you learn who you and your brand are and your unique point of view:
- Who are you?
- What is our purpose?
- Why do we exist?
- What do we want to say?
- Who do we want to say it to?
- How are we different?
- What do we value?
- How do we behave?
- How are we different from other people in the space?
Success doesn’t come from what you do but knowing who you are as a brand. The most successful brands market who they are and what they do becomes an expression and proof of who they are
Talking about who you are creates longevity
Brendan reminds us that he steps to finding a hook point are easy actually finding one is hard. That’s why you gave to work at it every day and build your skill through repetition. Remember that brand narrative must be consistent and relevant. You don’t have to think harder you just have to think different. It is essential to be a business that solves people’s problems. To do this, always ask how I can be of assistance to instead of asking if they want to buy a product
The hook point marathon:
Endurance, follow-through and the willingness to learn are the core of most people’s success.
You only fail if you give up.
Gold Key Challenges: These are some great challenges that will push your limits in developing your own hook points and understanding of yourself and others:
- What is your audience’s pain point / challenges? What is your unique solution? What unique way will you present it?
- Stop people from scrolling past your content: Check out Brendan’s blog and modify your content to ensure it is satisfying, paced properly and delivers a clear message that is congruent with your brand and solve a pain point for your audience.
- Discover your own PCM preference as well as those around you. Adjust your communication strategy and observe the impact.
- Let go of trying to sell what you want and instead think about what your customers need in terms of their priorities.
- Explore new vectors to push your content out and grow your audience.
- Ask yourself these three questions that Oprah starts every meeting asking.
o What is our intention for this meeting?
o What’s important?
o What matters?
Purchase the book here:
Check out these resources:
Brendan’s website is a treasure trove of useful information: www.brendanjkane.com/bkblog.
If you are looking for personalized or online training in any area surrounding developing your interpersonal communication style check out my online training offerings:
