Sooo... tariffs. 😬

Plus, how to tell a story with your word choice.

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So… tariffs. 😬

If you're in B2B SaaS, you might not be feeling much impact (yet — depending on what the EU decides).

But chances are, your customers are impacted — which means it might be worth thinking about how you show up in this moment.

If you’re selling into energy, ag, or manufacturing orgs? This stuff’s on their radar.

Apple's shares fell 9%.

Even small businesses are worried. Hell, *I* am worried about retaliatory policies, the long-term value of the USD, and my retirement planning — all of which is affecting my business.

Alsoooo, it’s not going away next week (or maybe it is, who knows anymore).

But the point? Enterprise buyers are going to be thinking about this and their ripple effects for a while — so you should be thinking about it too.

You don't need to be an expert.

You don't need a hot take.

You don't need to make it political.

You don't even have to have an opinion yet.

What does help?

→ A little empathy.

→ A signal that you’re paying attention.

→ A steady hand in your area of expertise.

That’s what earns trust and builds authority.

Look, I get it. Talking about the American political landscape right now is about as appealing as touching 3-day-old roadkill that’s been baking in the sun. I'm riiiight there with you.

But regulatory changes are already shaping the world our customers are operating in.

Acknowledging it — which you can do *without* waving a giant Red or Blue flag around — might be one of the things that helps you get (or stay) on a short list.

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I’m changing up the format of this letter a bit to make it more snackable.

Instead of doing huuuuuge dissertations on what I’m learning from these books, I’m going to narrow it down to the most interesting tips.

This week, courtesy of The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, I want to talk about the emotion behind words.

Joe Sugarman — one of the most legendary copywriters on the planet — starts this book off with his “Concept.” The main thesis of the first 10 chapters of this book is that the purpose of copywriting isn’t to sell — it’s to pull the reader through a “Slippery Slide” until they convince themselves they need your product.

You do that in two simple steps:

1. Selling an emotion.

2. Justifying with logic.

All great advertising does this. ☝ It sells you a feeling first — then gives you technical details that let you justify the purchase. To quote Sugarman, “Every good ad is an emotional outpouring of words, feelings, and impressions.”

Selling the feeling is where brand is important. Visual design plays a huge role here — but so do the words you use.

Take these two examples:

1. The old woman in the motel.

2. The little old lady at the inn.

One feels more ominous, right? The other one feels more inviting.

Every word has a story. You can be intentional with the story of each word to build an emotional appeal.

If you need help doing that… I’m building a little agency that can help. 😉

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• I plowed through Sunrise on the Reaping. If you’re a Hunger Games fan, I need you to read it immediately so we can discuss.

• Here’s why a good brief makes such a huge difference.

• I’m getting political. I’ve been learning more about Trump’s (illegal) invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, which strips non-citizens of rights to due process. I do my best to make this newsletter a bright spot and keep politics out of it, but as an immigrant myself (and someone with a sense of empathy), this is absolutely fucking insane.

• To end on a higher note: Here’s what I love about running.

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