"Hello! Thanks for opening the email. I am happy to see you!"
I am getting comments on an unexpected subject.
My photo.
The Substack people allow me to put a photo banner at the top of emails that go out to people who prefer to get the blog by "home delivery," i.e. by email. There is a constraint. The photo must be horizontal and must be in a wide and narrow strip, with a five to one aspect. For years I didn't bother with a photo.
A month ago I began using one that gave what I thought was an appropriately serious look. After all, I am writing about the state of our republic -- serious business. Apparently people thought I looked startled, or angry, or sour on life generally.
I am getting comments. Apparently readers like the new photo better.
Here is the new, current one:
Here is the prior one. Heck, I thought I looked pretty good, and appropriately serious, but the comments I am getting suggest that people who paid attention didn't like my photo choice.
Here was the one before that, back in July. A bit more serious yet.
An ongoing theme of this blog, both in politics and in life generally, is the power of body language and first impressions. Denoted words matter but that isn't how people communicate. We communicate with posture, tone, and the gut-feel impressions we create. I am happy to have readers, so I realize that should be the first impression I give when people open my blog post email.
It's great to see you!
Send comments and advice to me directly at: peter.w.sage@gmail.com
[Note: To get daily delivery of this blog to your email go to: https://petersage.substack.com and subscribe. The blog is free and always will be.]
5 comments:
The talking sports shows often end with laughter and smiling. The news shows I watch also often end with smiling if the news wasn’t too awful that day. People respond to smiling better than pretty much everything else. Laughter in groups has an unifying effect. Back in the day, I always looked for a laughter moment as that made the group feel safe and therefore more sharing could, would occur.
The news shows end on a happy story because then the anchors have something pleasant to talk about if they need to fill time. It's called happy talk.
Also, the awful/controversial stuff comes at the top to keep viewers tuned in to the entire show. That reinforces the myths that fuels viewer paranoia (and keeps them hooked).
I haven't paid a lot of attention to your pictures, Peter, but comparing the three in this Post convinced me a Third Time is the Charm. Thumbs up!
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
As the son of the photographer who took your high school senior picture, I know he'd have far preferred the smiling pic, as do I. The others might be described more as "dour" than "serious". Stick with it. ;-)
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