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The Kentaro Sono Letter 2024
〒600-8846 京都府京都市下京区朱雀宝蔵町44番地
協栄ビル2階 京都朱雀スタジオ
H-209
2024-W37-7 | Sunday | Bonus: CHN
No. 259
From:
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan
Sunday, 10:00 A.M.
September 15, 2024
Dear Friend,
In the book How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, in Preface, the author Jim Collins writes:
As I write this preface, on September 25, 2008, I’m looking out at the Manhattan skyline from a United Airlines Airbus, marveling at the cataclysmic events. Bear Stearns fell from #156 on the Fortune 500 to gone, bought out by JPMorgan Chase in a desperation deal engineered over a weekend. Lehman Brothers collapsed into bankruptcy after 158 years of growth and success. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, crippled, succumbed to government conservatorship. Merrill Lynch, the symbol of bullish America, capitulated to a takeover bid. Washington Mutual tottered on the edge of becoming the largest commercial bank failure in history. The U.S. government embarked on the most extensive takeover of private assets in more than seven decades in a frenetic effort to stave off another Great Depression.
Many first-class writers underestimate the power of title and give their books stupid titles. What do I mean "stupid titles"? People pass by your book and see the title, nevertheless don't stop walking to take your book. This situation means your book's title doesn't his or her job properly. It's a stupid title.
Jim Collins' books have so-so titles. See the list below.
- Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- Good To Great And The Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
- How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
- Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
If you have to choose just one book in this list, which one do you choose? And why?
I choose How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In. Because the contrast between "the mighty" and "fall" hooks me. And Jim Collins hints the solution to the Big Company Diseases by "And Why Some Companies Never Give In"
Listen: When you create titles, if you can, always hint "solutions to problems" in your titles.
It's the safest way to create a good title. Unless you have other special reasons not to do so, stick to the basic. Such as "how to" or "3 ways to".
Today's Copywriting Secret #1:
Unless you have other special reasons not to do so, use titles like "how to" or "17 ways to" because people are craving for "solutions of problems"!
Sincerely,
Kentaro Sono
Bonus 1:
The Kentaro Sono Selection 2024
~What did you read today?~
No. 259-1
In the book 日本超精密加工技术, in chapter 第一节：支撑“日本制造”的超精密零部件加工技术, the author 片山和也 writes:
日本制造衰落了？
“制造业”大致可以分为“原材料”“零部件”“商品”等几大类。它们在日本出口产品总额（约70兆日元）中的比例为1：1：2（图1）。提及日本制造，我们注意到的多是“商品”，也就是家电产品、摄像机、移动设备等。人们对这些“日本商品”的衰落也是议论纷纷。但其实，在占出口额约一半的“原材料”“零部件”方面，日本仍在世界范围内保有较强的竞争力。
例如，为美国波音公司（Boeing）提供最新客运飞机用炭纤维的东丽公司（TORAY INDUSTRIES.INC.）、为汽车轻量化提供超高强度钢（高强度钢板）等必要材料的日本钢铁生产商，在制造业的舞台上就鲜有竞争对手。
日本尤其在“零部件”领域拥有较强的竞争力。比如，美国苹果公司（Apple）出品的苹果手机（iPhone）中，就有50%的电子零部件产自日本。再比如，松下的车载用零部件、索尼的移动设备用图像传感器等零部件非常畅销，两家公司竟由此恢复了自身业绩。
By this example, I want you to think about "Oversimplification".
Ordinary people love oversimplification. That's why Trump uses it often. I don't like oversimplification and those who take advantage of oversimplification. Oversimplification makes ordinary people stupid, violent, even dangerous.
But if you are an real expert in one special area, you can earn respect just by pointing out some kind of oversimplification like the example above.
I can give you another example too. There is a stupid oversimplification in the copywriting world,
"Long copy doesn't work."
It's a lie.
Of course, if you are stupid and have nothing interesting to tell, your long copy never work. But this is not a problem of long copy. It's your problem.
Today's Copywriting Secret #2:
Earn respect by pointing out rampant oversimplification in this stupid world with the knowledge in your specialty!
Bonus 2:
The Kentaro Sono Selection 2024
~What did you read today?~
No. 259-2
In the book 设计、技术、工艺、研发人员·晋升12讲, in 第1套 表达系统|如何让上司、客户明白你在说什么？, the author 国井良昌 writes:
对于现在的技术人员而言，最重要的不是技术能力，而是沟通能力，请你务必谨记这一点。
我为什么要这么说？理由很简单，举个例子你就明白了：
请你想象一下最近的诺贝尔奖获得者。
曾经的诺贝尔奖，倾向于赞誉个人功绩，奖项也多颁发给了个人。但最近，很多奖项都给了团队。比如，2012年的诺贝尔生理学·医学奖，授予了京都大学的山中伸弥教授。山中教授在颁奖仪式上介绍了背景屏幕上的研究团队的成员。
Specialists often underestimate, even despise, expertise in other areas. Especially Communication skills. Isolated Experts can be good, but not great.
If you excel in your specialty but struggle financially, you have to think about studying communication skills. Especially copywriting. Communication with money at stake.
Today's Copywriting Secret #3:
Specialists tend to neglect copywriting.
