The X-Ray Goggles I Can't Turn Off

Currently in my nomad arc and staying in Playa del Carmen Mexico atm

The other day I was walking down the boardwalk…

Street vendors everywhere. Same routine.

Scream at everyone walking by and hope to get someone to buy…

"Want a tattoo?"

"Massages here!"

"Best deals!"

I'm watching this whole scene unfoldin real time, and there's this... pattern recognition that kicks in automatically now.

( probably from reading nad studying so much damn direct response )

It’s like x-ray goggles i can't turn off.

These people have no real strategy. 

No understanding of what they're actually selling or who they're selling to.

( or even how to sell it )

Just volume.

Just hoping someone in the crowd is already decided.

But understanding people and marketing tells me….

The majority aren’t decided.

And i’ts up to the marketer (or sales person in this instance) to get the few who “had the ideas in the back of their minds” but were too lazy or inconveinced to take action —and make them take that action today.

The Tattoo Woman

There's this woman outside a tattoo parlor I’ve walked by a few times..

Beautiful, yet doing the same thing as everyone else.

But it got me thinking about what tattoos actually represent.

What is the true nature of this product?

Because when you think about it, they’re not really about art or aesthetics.

They're tribal markers. Status symbols. Mate attraction signals rolled into one permanent decision.

Which means she's not selling ink and needles.

She's selling identity transformation.

So should she be selling this?

How could she increase her conversion rates on the coldest traffic possible (tourists on a mission to the beach or to get some food)

Maybe start with a simple compliment (targeting the ego) : "You'd look incredible with more tattoos"

Or the free offer angle (commitment bias. if I get in the store, my conversion rate to pay for a tattoo skyrockets : "Want to see what a design would look like? No commitment."

That second one's interesting... because once i agree to sit down and look at designs, and they’ve drawn something up for me (reciprocity) i'm already psychologically invested in the process.

Sunk cost. Commitment consistency. Basic human psychology.

And more revenue for them.

I'm Not Above This

Here's the thing that's both fascinating and humbling about this whole thing…

I'm sitting here analyzing all these psychological triggers like I'm somehow immune.

But put an attractive woman in front of me who knows what she's doing, and my pupils dilate just like everyone else's.

Tone drops. Focus sharpens. Heart rate increases.

We're all running the same basic operating system 24/7

The same evolutionary wiring that's been in place for thousands of years.

And the good marketers lean heavily into this with their messaging and funnels.

The Real Numbers

Only 1-2% of people walking by actually want a tattoo right now.

But maybe 8-10% could be influenced with the right conversation.

That's why understanding human psychology becomes valuable.

It applies to literally everything.

Most vendors are fishing for the 1-2% who are already sold.

The real opportunity is in that larger group who could be moved.

Words and Bodies

This whole experience reminded me of something most marketers miss.

Words don't just change minds.

They can trigger actual physical responses.

Move crowds…

And get people to buy — based on the feelings they are going through in this moment.

stop for second and imagine this situation…

You’re sitting at trial.

And the judge is about to sentence you.

The next 2 words that come out his mouth causes a visceral reaction internally…

The words "life sentence" echo across the courtroom.

chances are, you’ll feel your stomach drop immediately.

Heart starts pounding a million beats per second.

Palms sweat.

Eyes start frantically looking around for exits and a way out — like an animal backed into a corner.

all this happening internally for just a few words.

And people say copywriting is gonna get replaced by AI. 😂

Yeah, the labor is 90% gone.

But the mind behind the writer is what separates the good from the undeniable.

The Deeper Game

The copywriters and marketers who really understand all this operate differently.

They're not just cooking a new headline.

They're engineering state changes through language choice. Words that generate physical and psychological changes in behavior.

That's why some people convert at 5% while others struggle to hit 1%.

It's not talent or luck.

It’s just knowing the right things.

The same mechanisms that worked 10,000 years ago.

The same ones that will work 10,000 years from now.

Humans don't really change.

We just think we do.

P.S. Still working on that thing with Malcolm. it’s going to reveal how to do these kind of things on command, whenever you want.

+ an AI co-pilot that’s trained on these kinds of principles.

Stay tuned.

Quick question

Have you ever noticed anything like this? Reply to this email, I want to see hear what you’re seeing.