What Darth Vader can teach you about killer one-liners.

So last night, I had one of those proud dad moments...

The kind of thing you used to dream about when you were a much younger Star Wars geek starting a family.

My son walks up to me and says, "Hey Dad...can we watch Empire tonight?"

"HELL YEAH WE CAN!"

Then, curiosity got the better of me. "But, why Empire?"

"Cause it's the best one, Dad! Come on!!"

Awww. The Force is strong with this one!

Now, here's where it gets interesting...

See, "The Empire Strikes Back" IS the best Star Wars movie...

It's also a masterclass in leaving stuff out.

Think about it. What's the most iconic line from the movie?

If you said Darth Vader's "I am your father" line, you win!

BAM! Four words that blew our minds and changed the whole dang saga!

But, what if Darth Vader had the same problem as so many marketers, founders, and entrepreneurs?

What if he just couldn't bear to leave anything out?

It'd be a totally different scene (and a way less awesome movie) if Vader droned on and on:

"Luke, I'm afraid you've been misinformed about your family's history, and I must now correct this grave error.

 Obi-Wan's assertion about my role in your father's fate was--shall we say--not entirely accurate. You see, about two decades ago, I was indeed a Jedi Knight known as Anakin Skywalker. Through a series of tragic events, I was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force (and it's awesome. But more on that later.)

During this tumultuous time, I was romantically involved with a wonderful woman, Padmé Amidala, who, as it turns out, was pregnant with twins. I didn't know it at the time--talk about a surprise! One of those twins, as you may have figured out by now, is you. Therefore, I must emphatically state: I did not kill Anakin Skywalker as Obi-Wan led you to believe.

Instead, Anakin Skywalker became who I am now - Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and, more importantly in this context...No, I am your father."

Holy bantha droppings, NOOOO!!!

This, my friend, is why leaving stuff out is a secret weapon in messaging.

It's all about nailing that killer on-liner that makes your audience go "Holy crap, tell me more!" so then you can talk all about your amazing stuff.

Here's the kicker: I ran a poll on LinkedIn acouple weeks back.

A whopping 50% of people said the toughest thing about creating a clear message is "Don't want to leave things out."

I get it. You have this awesome product, this amazing service, this incredible idea.

You want to share EVERYTHING about it.

You're scared you might leave out that one precious detail that'll get your audience to wanna buy it.

But, what if leaving stuff out was actually the key?

(It is, by the way.)

And what if it were waaay easier than you think?

(It is, by the way.)

The key to saying less lies in your audience's perspective.

What I mean by that is simple.

What is the ONE THING that matters most to them when it comes to what your product or service does?

Figure that thing out and connect it back to what you sell? Congrats. You have your killer one-liner.

Plus, you can check all your leaving-stuff-out worry at the door...

BECAUSE YOUR AUDIENCE WILL WANNA DIVE DEEPER.

Here's how to get started finding that killer one-liner:

1.) Define your audience's true cares

• What's the one thing they're trying to achieve?
• What stands in the way of their success?
• How do they articulate this challenge?
• What outcome matters most to them?
• What would that outcome mean for them?

2.) Go deeper on the challenge they face

• Consider again what stands in their way.
• How does this challenge affect their goal?
• What happens if it isn't addressed?
• What happens if it is addressed?
• What are the emotions tied to the entire circumstance? Good ones? Bad ones?

3.) Connect your offering to their challenge (Why does it matter?)

• How does your offering change their situation?
• What becomes possible for them with your offering?
• What's the long-term impact on their business or life?
• How does your offering align with their bigger goals or vision?
• What emotional relief or satisfaction does your offering create?

4.) Distill to ONE core message

• Combine parts of these elements: [Audience] + [Challenge] + [Unique Solution] + [Key Outcome]
• Use active language/avoid linking language if possible (like help, empower, enable)
• Get it short -- 15ish words is killer
• Include powerful words that convey posititive change
• Don't worry too much about being super formal.
• Test it: When you say it, do they wanna know more?

A FEW TEMPLATES TO TRY:

• You know when [CHALLENGE]? Yeah. [OFFERING] fixes that.
• [OFFERING] [WHAT IT DOES] without [COMMON OBSTACLE].
• The only [CATEGORY YOU'RE IN] that [UNIQUE APPROACH OR DIFFERENTIATIOR].
• What would it mean if you could [AMAZING RESULT FROM YOUR OFFERING]?

EXAMPLES, using the ONE LINERS THAT KILL intensive (see below) as the offering:

• You know how you can't get people to see how amazing your product is? Yeah. One Liners That Kill fixes that.
• One Liners That Kill nails your message without all that struggle or expensive consultants.
• The only messaging intensive that turns boring clichés into irresistible one-liners in less than a day.
• What would it mean if you could make every prospect lean in and say "tell me more?"

So there you have it...

I won't often tell you to be like an evil sith lord...

But in this case, yeah. Be like Darth Vader.

After all, killer one-liners make for killer sales numbers.