The 2,000-year-old Persuasion Secret Hiding in Plain View

Aristotle figured it out 2,400 years ago – most fundraisers still don’t.

INSIDE: Actionable lessons from an Ancient Greek philosopher to 10x your copywriting

We’re going to ask you a favour.

Read this:

“Last year, [Sarah] was told her cancer treatment would begin within 8 weeks. Instead, she waited 11 months. Please rush your contribution today to help ensure patients like [Sarah] don’t face delays like this again.”

Notice what happened after you read that?

You didn’t JUST read a donation ask.

You SUBCONSCIOUSLY reached a verdict.

We didn’t say “the system is failing her and only your donation right now can help.”

And we didn’t include “The lives of others are at risk unless you donate.”

You reached that on your own. Subconsciously – in half a second.

That half-second is the most important moment in all of persuasion.

And an Ancient Greek philosopher named Aristotle figured it out more than two thousand years ago.

His ancient technique has been hidden in plain view ever since.

But most campaigns and organizations aren't aware of it.

We’re on a mission to fix that.

By the way, we have this link for you to schedule a FREE call with our award-winning expert team to learn how we can help your campaign or cause.

Let's Talk!

The Secret Aristotle Unlocked

Aristotle called it the Enthymeme.

Weird word, right?

But a simple idea.

An enthymeme is an argument with a piece left out – on purpose – for your reader or listener to fill in themselves.

You give them two-thirds.

They do the rest.

There’s real science behind this – and it matters to ANYONE in the writing game.

The conclusion they reach on their own is the one they believe the hardest.

Sounds crazy – we know.

But think about the last time someone pushed you to agree with them.

The harder they pushed, the more you dug in. Whether you knew it or not.

Now think about the last time you came to a conclusion yourself.

You didn’t argue it – you couldn’t. It’s your own idea.

And it’s really simple:

People don’t argue with conclusions they draw on their own.

THAT’S the two-thousand-year-old secret.

Why ‘Telling’ Just Isn’t Strong Enough

Look, we all know emotion persuades better than logic.

But even still, a lot of fundraising we see fails the same way.

It TELLS.

Here, we’ll show you what we mean.

WEAK:

“Our food bank is serving more families than ever. When demand outpaces resources, food banks can't keep up. That's why we need your donation today.”

It reads fine. But it’s lacking…persuasion.

Now watch what happens when we leave a gap open.

STRONG:

“Three years ago, our food bank served 800 families a week – last week we served 2,500 families in need.”

You never said, “We’re lacking resources.”

You could have – but you don’t have to.

Your reader – or listener – said it.

And once they say it, it’s true.

Here’s another example:

WEAK:

“Our opponent voted against cutting taxes, and politicians who vote against cutting taxes don't deserve your support. That's why you should vote against him.”

Now, we’ll leave a gap open.

STRONG:

“He voted against putting money back in your pocket in March, he voted against it again in July, and in October, he skipped the vote entirely.”

You didn’t need to say, “he doesn’t care.”

Or “he doesn’t deserve your support.”

Once again, your reader said it.

And remember: Persuasion happens in the gap.

What Happens When You Get It Right

Here’s the fun trick with the enthymeme.

It doesn’t FEEL like persuasion.

Or even a hard task to learn or implement.

And that’s the whole point.

The best fundraising in the world doesn’t feel like a pitch.

It flows smoothly and feels like the reader or listener came to your desired conclusion on their own.

But it’s definitely not luck.

It’s an ancient two-thousand-year-old copywriting trick from Aristotle.

This Is What We Do Every Day

At The Bowie Group, the enthymeme isn’t a trick we only pull out for special occasions.

It’s baked into every appeal we do.

And it’s part of the reason why our copy gets responses – while others get skimmed.

And if your fundraising is doing more telling than converting, it’s a problem we will fix.

That’s why we have this link for you to schedule a FREE call with our award-winning expert team to learn how we can help your campaign or cause.

Let's Talk!