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Becoming a Fireman - What Are The Emotional Triggers?

by NewbieWarrior
27 replies
Hi Guys,

I'm writing copy for a sales video to promote a product on becoming a fireman. The product gives tips on passing the interviews and state exams for being a fireman.

I'm trying to get in the mind of a would be fireman, to understand the motivation. Tending to the wimpy side, I've never had that urge as a kid. And I still can't figure out why someone would want a physically demanding and dangerous job.

I can't quite put my finger on the thrill, the emotional buttons (I am so unmacho.) I do have some handle on the frustration of taking exams, of being fearful of flunking, saying the wrong thing.

Any help appreciatively received. Thanks.

Max
#emotional #fireman #triggers
  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Hi Max,

    Got the exact answer for ya.

    A-list copywriter Carline Anglade Cole's husband Mike is a firefighter.

    And even better yet, they put a book out about the exact same subject!

    I don't know if it is on Clickbank or not, but it sure would be worth checking out...

    ...and I wouldn't be afraid to make contact with Carline at Carline Anglade-Cole. Tell her Ewen from Auckland New Zealand sent you.

    How's that my man..?

    All the best,
    Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author Aj Wilson
      I was a voluntary firefighter in NZ for a year... beeper n all...

      I can tell you that it's the Adrenalin Rushes, racing to the fire station,
      the "suiting up", "rescuing the damsel in distress", uniting loved ones,
      saving lives...

      being seen as a "hero" amongst your family, friends and loved ones...

      just some of the things that should be in the back of your mind
      when writing your copy.

      "The Battle" or "The Fight" (with the fire beast)...

      sounds corny but in the eyes of a "firey"
      that's what they thrive on.

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      • Profile picture of the author NewbieWarrior
        the Adrenalin Rushes
        I like that! The thrill. Didn't occur to me.

        I'm thinking whether it could also be something to do with one's concept of self-efficacy, that I'm good enough for any hazardous test that's out there, and I can lick anything thrown my way, and am so sure of it, I can lay my life on the line.

        Max
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        • Profile picture of the author Tommy Perez
          If you can BOIL down the one single thing that stops most people from passing those exams...and then encapsulate the solution into one single concept...you have a winning trigger.

          Example:

          "You're About To Discover The ONE SINGLE Thing That Causes Men Like YOU To FAIL In Becoming A Fireman..."

          ...And The SECRET Tactics That Will Ensure You Pass!

          Blah Blah Blah...

          You technically need to do some research behind the common failing points in those exams/tests.

          The BIGGEST emotional button of pretty much anyone is failure/rejection/looking like a fool etc.

          If you can frame your product in a way that prevents failure/rejection and looking like a fool...people will buy it!
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          • Profile picture of the author Aj Wilson
            Hah... "Choice" Dean! lol

            Tommy's hitting the right angle though...

            It's always good if you can Tie Everything Back Into;
            • Their most frustrating problem/s
            • Their ultimate end result/s
            • Your product or service as their only and ultimate solution
            you'll be onto a winner

            p.s.

            You might also like to think of those fire fighter calendars
            where the dudes got his top off, shredded muscle... walking through the
            flames n smoke dragging his hose. lol.
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            • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
              Hey AJ,

              Oh man what a dreamer!

              Looks like the kiwis are on the night watch.
              ----------------------------------------------------------------------
              "Oh please, oh please help me brave Aj, I'm but a poor defencless maiden

              Oh AJ YOU ARE MY HERO...how can I ever repay you..?
              -----------------------------------------------------------------------

              Straight out of the Mills and Boons novels.

              I read that book sales are down in book stores except the biggest catagory
              Romance.

              Some guys reckon it's womens soft porn!

              Ewen

              Originally Posted by Aj Wilson View Post


              You might also like to think of those fire fighter calendars
              where the dudes got his top off, shredded muscle... walking through the
              flames n smoke dragging his hose. lol.
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              • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
                And I still can't figure out why someone would want a physically demanding and dangerous job.
                You can use that in your copy, as in...

                While others can't quite understand why someone would want such a physically demanding and dangerous job, for you it goes beyond question that...

                Fill in the blank with what you learn from the other great tips in this thread.

                Good luck,
                Marcia Yudkin
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                • Profile picture of the author Hagbard Jones
                  Prospective professional firemen are young, single, urban, and male. For the most part, wives don't sign off on this kind of behavior. It's a dangerous job, yet it's a career. Meaning, guys who are contemplating this are, for the most part, invested in at least the fantasy of *remaining* single, urban guys.

                  Like all single, urban guys, their emotional triggers are: being seen as a near-mythical sexual heathen he-beast...and living a lifestyle that allows him to perpetuate that myth.

                  Paint a picture that may or may not contain images and emotions that play into that fantasy. Maybe to include things like...

                  • Rushing from his loft as the call goes out
                  • Pounding out that final mile of roadwork in the pre-dawn hours before the streets are teeming with cubicle dwellers, when the city still belongs to him
                  • Being one of the city's "elite special service members"
                  • Pride in the lean, hard body he'll inevitably develop...necessary to become one of the chosen few
                  • Yes, feeling the heart-pounding adrenaline rush that comes from *fighting* an inferno born in the very bowels of hell, but more importantly...
                  • *Emerging triumphant* from a smoldering building, besmudged and exhausted, but sharing a silent look and a nod of shared understanding and triumph with other veterans of the battle.
                  • Meeting at a loud and rowdy gathering place after a grueling night's work, where the liquor flows freely, the men regale each other with stories and laugh bawdily, and the women flirt and fall into the laps of their city's protectors
                  I've never believed people fantasize about careers because of the nature of the work. They fantasize about the lifestyle they associate with Hollywood created images of what that career, at its most romantic, can make you become.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dean Jackson
    Aj took the words right out of my mouth.

    Choice as bro!

    - Dean
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    Hi Max,

    I'm not a fireman, but I have worked with them. These folks are driven specifically. But by what, I do not know for sure.

    In my previous business, I had a few firemen, paramedics and people who were part-time policemen. As a condition of employment, I'd let them go fight fires and such if they needed to.

    All I know is that they are driven by a sense of adventure and danger. (Oh yeah, and they also told me it's a great way to pick up chicks.

    Here's what I would do:

    Head down to your local fire station. Ask the chief if you could interview a few of the firemen. Tell him you're doing a research project on why people become firemen when there's so much danger. (You actually interview him in the process.)

    Get a bunch of them together and just hit the record button. Maybe buy them dinner, or drinks or something like that.

    Ask them all sorts of questions, look for stories and such. Things that "land."

    - Rick Duris
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan Hangen
    Were it me, I'd probably take a different approach. Rather than focus on the problems, I'd open with a story and get people amped up and imagining themselves as a firefighter, then I'd use the "let down" to get them doubting themselves, and then bam...the hook.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stephen Dean
    When I have a question like that I find literally typing the question in to Google can get you great answers.

    Just search "Why Would Someone Want To Be A Firefighter?" in to search. It looks like there are some good starting points from the results.

    And yes, searching Clickbank for a similar product with high gravity is a great way to find a sales letter that's doing it right. Just disect their sales letter paying special attention to the inner desires the letter targets...

    ...analyzing successful letters is probably the most accurate way to answer the question.

    Cheers!
    Stephen Dean
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  • Profile picture of the author evanlambda
    For a lot of aspiring firemen, the emotional trigger happened as a young boy (or girl). When they were out with their parents the hear a loud, blaring, flashing truck speed by. Everyone stops in their tracks to look at whats going on and moves out of the way for the heroic firemen.

    Childhood imagery sticks with people well into adulthood.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aj Wilson
    Hey AJ,

    Oh man what a dreamer!

    "The world is created by dreamers, visionaries and those that sleep, then built by those that are awake"

    "The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." - Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, 1996

    "200 million Mills & Boon novels are sold worldwide every year"

    Not sure what you're trying to achieve with a comment like that but romance and that heroic sh't sells.
    It's what people lap up in those tv programs, stories that sell and it's what legends are made of.

    Young guys thrive on that stuff... who are possibly maxs target audience.

    I'd rather throw useful ideas in the air here for Max to pick & choose
    and try help out, [edited out]
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Hi AJ,

      Sorry for the offence...it certainly wasn't intended.

      I mentioned the Mills and Boons thing to reinforce yours and other posters comments
      about heroes, dreams and storytellers. They do tap into mass market appeal.

      I'm trying to think of the Hollywood director who created Dallas and other blockbuster soaps. He had one of the biggest mansions in California. He could easilly afford it with the
      money he made from TV programs he made.

      Anyway, my bad for getting the message wrong.

      All the best,
      Ewen

      Originally Posted by Aj Wilson View Post

      "The world is created by dreamers, visionaries and those that sleep, then built by those that are awake"

      "The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." - Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, 1996

      "200 million Mills & Boon novels are sold worldwide every year"

      Not sure what you're trying to achieve with a comment like that but romance and that heroic sh't sells.
      It's what people lap up in those tv programs, stories that sell and it's what legends are made of.

      Young guys thrive on that stuff... who are possibly maxs target audience.

      I'd rather throw useful ideas in the air here for Max to pick & choose
      and try help out, rather than slag off others comments.
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    umm...

    They want to be a tough guy and a good guy at the same time.

    They want a physical career that's skilled and demanding.

    They want to be looked-up to as an authority on safety and
    life-saving.

    Winning admiration from others.

    Career that lets you retire young with a nice pension.

    Mystique of the comraderie of firefighters
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    • Profile picture of the author OnlineMasterMind
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
        Originally Posted by OnlineMasterMind View Post

        Where did you come up with these? Those are absolutely NOT the emotional hot buttons of becoming a firefighter...

        "A physical career that's skilled and demanding." or "looked up to as an authority on safety"? Uh... no lol
        How about "get paid to be a swaggering know it all"?
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        • Profile picture of the author internetmarketingstudent
          As someone who got rejected on his try for a civil service job, I know it can be disheartening. A feeling of rejection and unworthiness. Also as one who got through on a second try, after lots of study and preparation, there was a feeling of fulfillment. The two emotions I felt. It probably would be true for would be firefighter applicants.

          Usuff
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          • Profile picture of the author NewbieWarrior
            A HUGE Thank you for all your fantastic replies.
            This gives me the fuel to craft a video sales script.
            You guys are all amazing!

            Max
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            • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
              Sorry to have to inject a little realism into this thread, but you should keep in mind that not all firefighters are "firemen."

              In my town, our Fire Chief is a woman. There is nothing macho about it for her, although she can handle all the physical demands of the job (obviously, being chief). She's a very pretty blond woman with a husband and three daughters. For her, it's about protecting the community.

              You'll be unintentionally limiting your sales if you make your pitch super-macho and talk only to men.

              Marcia Yudkin
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              • Profile picture of the author Hagbard Jones
                Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

                Sorry to have to inject a little realism into this thread, but you should keep in mind that not all firefighters are "firemen."

                In my town, our Fire Chief is a woman. There is nothing macho about it for her, although she can handle all the physical demands of the job (obviously, being chief). She's a very pretty blond woman with a husband and three daughters. For her, it's about protecting the community.

                You'll be unintentionally limiting your sales if you make your pitch super-macho and talk only to men.

                Marcia Yudkin
                Couldn't disagree more with the last sentence.

                You'll be unintentionally limiting your sales if you try to be all things to all prospective buyers, instead of really honing in on the emotions and buying triggers for the dominant demographic in your market. And when we're talking firefighting, the dominant demographic is REALLY dominant.

                People looking to become firefighters are a niche market to begin with. Women are a tiny niche within it. Wiki has a quick hit that says women make up approximately 2% of the US firefighting force. Want to throw away the most persuasive triggers available to influence 98% of your audience in order to reach the last 2%? I wouldn't.

                Firefighting has a macho mystique, and with 98% of your potential buyers being male, you'd be ill-advised to ignore that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aj Wilson
    oww,

    @OnlineMasterMind

    Camaraderie. Most firefighters are pretty close and I know being part of a crew is important to them.
    That's a good one, huge as a firey... "you got each others back",
    your family away from your family, a sense of "belonging" to other great guys etc.


    @ewen

    Hi AJ,

    Sorry for the offence...it certainly wasn't intended.
    Just got your PM mate, Sorry buddy... I did take that the wrong way.

    I guess I get a little defensive whenever people post
    (what I think maybe) disempowering comments...

    which usually run rampage in this forum lol.

    Simple mistake... funny now
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hancox
    This has been a fascinating thread.

    It shows that people have different reasons... motivations... criteria... for what they do, and what they want to be.

    Marcia also raised an intriguing point. I wonder what % of firefighters are men and women? That would be a fascinating statistic.

    By the way, the interview idea is great...

    BUT...

    Keep in mind, people are not always going to be entirely honest about their motivations.

    I don't mean that people LIE.

    But people rarely walk into the car showroom and say,

    "Hey... I'm looking for a car that's going to make me look like a STUD, with lots of POWER and CONTROL, and that makes me look IMPORTANT and RICH."

    That's what some people ARE looking for in a car... but they rarely VERABLIZE that

    So if you interview people on why they became firemen, you may need to read between the lines as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
      Marcia also raised an intriguing point. I wonder what % of firefighters are men and women? That would be a fascinating statistic.
      That's not quite the right question to ask. Since he's selling a course on passing the exams to become a firefighter, the percentage to look at would be men vs. women in the population of those trying to enter the field now. This percent would be higher, maybe significantly higher, for women than the percent of firefighters overall.

      Marcia Yudkin
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      • Profile picture of the author NewbieWarrior
        ..keep in mind that not all firefighters are "firemen."
        In my town, our Fire Chief is a woman. There is nothing macho about it for her, although she can handle all the physical demands of the job (obviously, being chief).
        Marcia
        Thanks, Marcia. Good point. I'll keep the sales script gender neutral. As a newbie would be copywriter, I'm learning that it is important to know the demographics of my market. I put the URL of the top site on becoming a firefighter into quantcast.com and got the follow :

        • male : 55%
        • female : 45%
        • age 18-34 primarily
        • caucasian 67%
        • half with kids
        • half with college
        I'm surprised by the large percentage for female. When I immersed myself in the routine of firefighters it had a lot to do with direct contact with those in distress, rather than just riding fire engines and dousing flames. So I guess the need for compassion and caring speaks to the female side.

        Max
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hancox
    Wow. 2%. In that case, you definitely want to bias your copy towards men
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  • Profile picture of the author Hagbard Jones
    Just to be clear, I mean absolutely no disrespect to the brave women out there serving their communities in this capacity.

    It's just that respect don't feed the bulldog.
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