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How to build rapport with almost anyone

by Steve Hill
8 replies
This Los Angeles County traffic cop has been handing out tickets for decades - but he hasn't had a complaint in over 20 years. That's almost unheard of.

How does he do it? Look here for details:

Sheriff's traffic cop leaves drivers with little to gripe about - latimes.com

There's a worthwhile lesson there for copywriters, marketers, and people in general.
#build #complaints #cop #rapport #traffic
  • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
    That is a pretty awesome story.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      Off the topic, but these lines from the article reminded me of a well-known Bud Weckesser space ad:

      When Simmons returned to the car window, he changed the subject: "Your license says you're 280," he told the driver, referring to his weight. "You're not 280."

      Almost immediately, the man about to be hit with a ticket was proudly telling how he'd lost 100 pounds through a strict regimen of swimming and healthy eating.
      The ad...

      “Atlanta Housewife Investigated And Almost Arrested For Losing 73 Pounds”

      Kiplinger's Personal Finance - Google Books

      Great hook.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve Hill
        Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

        Off the topic, but these lines from the article reminded me of a well-known Bud Weckesser space ad
        You're right, they really are similar situations!

        Weckesser had a good way with words, and his ads were typically easy to read and entertaining.

        Another related Weckesser diet ad is the "When I see my ex-husband, I have this secret trick I play on him" ad. It's very similar in content to the "almost arrested" ad but with a completely different approach.

        That ad is: The Item - Google News Archive Search
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        • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
          Originally Posted by Steve Hill View Post

          You're right, they really are similar situations!

          Weckesser had a good way with words, and his ads were typically easy to read and entertaining.

          Another related Weckesser diet ad is the "When I see my ex-husband, I have this secret trick I play on him" ad. It's very similar in content to the "almost arrested" ad but with a completely different approach.

          That ad is: The Item - Google News Archive Search
          Another good hook.

          Interesting that in both ads, the hooks are explained near the end. Conventional teaching says to resolve them early in the ad.

          Hey, whatever works...

          Thanks Steve.

          Alex
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          • Profile picture of the author Jon Sullivan
            I'm not a big fan of the cop hiding, but that is probably a discussion for another day.

            I think people often let the emotions of one person carry over to another.

            Maybe the cop just thinks to himself, "Ha, I caught you..." and then never lets anything the person say bother him.

            Either way it is nice that he takes the, "Hey how are you" approach. Being a human, before being a cop.
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            • Profile picture of the author Steve Hill
              Originally Posted by Sully4071 View Post

              Maybe the cop just thinks to himself, "Ha, I caught you..." and then never lets anything the person say bother him.

              Either way it is nice that he takes the, "Hey how are you" approach. Being a human, before being a cop.
              It sounds like he is being genuinely empathetic - this is in the Los Angeles area, and he likely writes hundreds of tickets per year. To do that for 20 years with no complaints whatsoever is truly exceptional.

              From the article, it sounded like he was not only low-key, but also willing to take the time to really listen to people, to try to understand their situation, and cut them some slack if it was warranted.

              I relate that story to copywriting because so many times we see ads that talk AT people ("We do this, we do that, we're so great, buy from us") instead of taking the time to truly understand the target audience well enough to talk WITH them by interacting with the conversation going on in their minds. ("Hmm, yes, I have this problem, I want to do something about it, this sounds interesting...but what about...oh, I see, guess I'll try it, I have nothing to lose...")

              Maybe it's a bit of a stretch from a story about a cop with no complaints in 20 years, but if that cop always assumed he was right and only talked AT people, he'd probably have some complaints.
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  • Profile picture of the author justinkemp99
    I really like real life stories as it inspires me a lot. This traffic cop did the right thing and went after the most priced possession in the world- "SELF RESPECT" . A person can pardon you for anything but not if you have harmed his/her self respect. A good reputation, a good career where no one tells bad things about you can be achieved if you maintain good relations with people and above all show respect to them. People want nothing but respect. I really get upset when i see people disrespect others.

    A great inspirational story!! Must read!
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  • Profile picture of the author Writing Warrior
    Very inspiring story. He must find his job very rewarding since he's so good at leaving people happy (or at least not angry)!
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