The Amusing and Curious Tale of Soggy Sweat

Happy National Repeal Day!  

If you partake, pop some bubbly, pour yourself a stiff one, or enjoy a cold-frosty.

Today’s the day (in 1933) when prohibition in the USA ended…

…except in Mississippi which continued to prohibit alcohol until 1966…

…which reminds me of the amusing and curious tale of Soggy Sweat.

Noah “Soggy” Sweat was a state representative in Mississippi who said this on the the floor of the Mississippi state legislature in 1952:

My friends, I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey:

If when you say whiskey you mean the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.

But, if when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman’s step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life’s great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.

This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.

 Cheers to you, Soggy! I salute you! 

Some may dismiss Ol’ Soggy as just another double-talking politician.

But if you distill Soggy’s message, you’ll find gallons of marketing wisdom.

Soggy knows his target markets.

When talking to the anti-alcohol crowd — a.k.a. the “drys” — he crafted stories about the devil, homes destroyed, and the crusade for righteousness. Drys who heard those stories would say, “Good Ol’ Soggy really gets it! He understands what I want.”

When talking to those who opposed prohibition, Soggy crafted stories about Christmas cheer, spring in the step, warm glow, and laughter. Prohibition opponents who heard those stories would say, “Good Ol’ Soggy really gets it! He understands what I want.”

Different markets, different stories.

Marketers call this…

…message to market match.

Understand your audience. Focus on what they want. Craft messages (stories) that resonate with them and show you get them.

When politicians do this, we criticize them as double-talking scumbags.

When marketers do this, we honor them as profit-generating masters.

Imagine this…

You’re the marketing director for a company that sells tires with “expanding rain grooves.”

If your target market is parents, you sell safety. You craft stories about getting the family to-and-fro without accidents or injury. You promise that driving in a rainstorm will not be a steering-wheel-gripping stress-fest.

But if your market is sports-car-loving speedsters, you sell performance. You craft stories about the tires hugging the pavement in any condition. You paint pictures of adrenaline-inducing excitement.

Different prospects. Different stories. Both stories are true. Both stories work and generate profits — if you achieve message to market match.

Speaking of generate profits…

…that’s what you’ll do if you get “The 7-Figure Content Blueprint,” my new masterclass/workshop that gives you everything you need to:

✓ Discover the stories that will resonate with your target market so they say, “You get me!” and be more likely to buy

✓ Unleash of flood of content ideas that are NOT the same-old boring stuff

✓ Assemble client-attracting content – consistently and easily

✓ Conquer writer’s block and NEVER feel stuck

✓ Stand out as the human to hire in your niche so you can skyrocket profits

✓ Sell with confidence and consistently — without being a pest

I’m currently running the workshop in live sessions.

Next week, after the live workshop concludes, I’ll compile the session videos into an on-demand package.

You’ll have lifetime access to the videos so you can watch anytime, as many times as you wish.

And for those who get the On-Demand-Blueprint on the day I launch it, I’ll have some valuable surprises…

…designed to help you attract leads and generate sales — without tech headaches.

Are you interested?

If you want to consistently achieve message to market match so you land more and better clients consistently, reply to this email and write, “Good Ol’ Soggy”

I’ll put you on the early bird list (early birds will get bonuses not offered to those late to the game).