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Competition Winning
Free things captivate us. Everybody wants their money for nothing, and, if possible, their chicks for free. All is achievable with a course in competition winning...
A competition-winning course should deal with writing slogans, limericks and jingles. It should also include hints on how to bring home the bacon with quizzes and crosswords. Slogans are often the most crucial of all competition skills. Too often, they are the decisive tiebreaker in Woman's Way competitions. "I like ironing boards because…" Filling in the blank in ten words or less can cause major brain meltdown. However, writing the perfect slogan is not as difficult as you might think. There are certain formulas that can produce results. A course will teach you that slogans are the extroverts of the copywriting world. They put themselves on the line, wearing a yellow feather dress with plaid tights and chunky jewellery.
A course will teach you words and phrases that you should shun and let you in on the buzzwords that grab attention. The basic tenet of slogan writing is to avoid clichés like the plague and to use puns and brash, bold words that will sell your idea. It is also best to avoid technical jargon and acronyms that may not be understood by the general public. Once you have the basic writing skills, then it is time to come up with an idea. Concepts don't have to be particularly well developed - sometimes it is even better to write an esoteric phrase that will make people re-read your slogan. For example "Always Coca-Cola" doesn't make much sense but it is short and memorable.
Another slogan trick is to align two seemingly opposing viewpoints to make the reader go back to try and work it out. Once the reader has puzzled over the slogan a couple of times, it will be lodged in their heads, and the parent company will rub its fat hands in glee. "Like piebald horses? Drink Cidona." However, you should take into account the product that you are trying to promote. If you have entered into a competition for a €50 voucher for your local garden centre, then they will probably prefer if you are flatter their vanity rather than confuse them with weird phrases.
As well as improving your slogans and jingles, a course will give you the inside track on where to find the best competitions. The Internet is an excellent resource - for example, if you find a competition on a little-visited website, then the odds of you netting the top prize are high. Specialist magazines and brochures are other resources that can give you a good chance of success. The less people know about it, the better for you. People do actually win competitions. For example, Lynne Suzanne is a professional competition winner with a host of prizes under her belt, including cars and holidays. She has a few tips that can turn your nickname from "Loser" to "Mercedes Man". She advises that would-be winners use her MAPS system.
The key phrases to remember are:
Motivation - pin a picture of what you want to win on your wall
Action - enter competitions
Power of Belief - believe you can win
Skill - learn how to maximise your chances of success You may not become a millionaire overnight, but you will drastically improve your chances of success.
A course in competition-winning can give you the inside track on what it takes to be a winner. So if you have been lusting after a Stannah Stairlift or if you want a year's supply of cat litter, then it's time to get active.
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