The following is excerpted from a newsletter Guy Kawasaki, the Apple and Canva evangelist, sent out about a week ago. I love his advice. I’d recommend you follow it when appropriate.

Facts tell, but stories sell. If you want to change someone’s mind, skip the data dump and share a story that resonates emotionally. When I was evangelizing the Macintosh, I didn’t just talk about specs—I told stories about how the Mac empowered creatives to design, write, and innovate in ways they never could before.

Stories bypass skepticism. They’re not something people argue with, they’re something people feel. Whether you’re pitching a product or convincing your boss to greenlight your idea, craft a narrative that makes your audience see themselves in the story.

By the way, I wrote a revised and updated edition of my book Wise Guy—it’s new name: Wiser Guy. Don’t miss a new collection of honest, humorous, and heartfelt stories! You can preorder it here: https://amzn.to/3GmUbdL.

Appeal to Emotion, Not Just Logic

People make decisions emotionally and justify them logically. If you’re trying to win an argument, tap into what your audience cares about most. When I pitched the Mac, I didn’t just say, “It’s user-friendly.” I said, “It’s the computer for the rest of us.” That phrase hit people in the gut—it made them feel included, empowered, and part of a revolution.

Think about what your audience values. Is it security? Freedom? Belonging? Frame your argument in a way that aligns with their emotional priorities.

Handle Skeptics Like a Pro

Skeptics are inevitable, but they’re not your enemy—they’re your opportunity. The key is to listen, not argue. When someone doubted the Mac, I didn’t try to bulldoze them with counterpoints. Instead, I asked questions to understand their concerns and then reframed my argument to address those doubts.

For example, if someone said, “The Mac is too expensive,” I’d respond, “It’s an investment in your creativity and productivity. What’s the cost of not having the best tools?” By reframing the conversation, I turned objections into opportunities.

Make It About Them, Not You

Here’s the secret sauce: people don’t care about your argument—they care about how it affects them. When you’re evangelizing an idea, focus on the benefits to your audience, not the features of your product or point of view.

For instance, when I pitched Canva, I didn’t say, “It’s a graphic design tool.” I said, “It’s the easiest way to make your ideas look amazing.” See the difference? One is about the tool, the other is about the user.

I'm correcting something that happened yesterday on Easter. Some people had trouble downloading the book, How to Write a Bestseller in 30 Days or Less: 111 books you can write fast — with examples.

So I switched the book from being a Word document to a PDF document. That should make it a lot easier for you to download. This is the link to download the document now as a PDF: http://bookauthorauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Book-Authority-Guide-on-Writing-a-Bestseller.pdf.

I hope the PDF document will help you get access to it much more quickly.

The link is also available on my podcast website (right here: (bookmarketing.substack.com) so you can click on the link there to download the PDF (see the link above).

How to Write a Bestseller in 30 Days or Less will be available for one week after the International Day of the Book, also known as World Book and Copyright Day. It's on April 23rd, the anniversary of William Shakespeare and Don Miguel Cervantes' deaths. It's a day when many people around the world celebrate books.

One week later would be the 30th of April, just so you know. So the book will be available for free download until then.

You are welcome to share the link for the free download so you can share the book with anybody you want, as long as you share it in one piece. Don't cut part of the book out and share it with people. Share the entire book with them.

On May 1st, the book will go on sale on Amazon and Gumroad.

Yesterday, I also told you about another free offer: The Book Authority Guide to Why You Should Write a Book. Here the link to download that book freely as well: https://bookauthorauthority.com/the-book-authority-guide-on-why-write-a-book.

It's actually better to share documents as a PDF anyway rather than as a Word document.

I really would like you to get a free copy of both books. So I hope that you will download them and I'm hoping that you will benefit from both of them.

They're really great books and they're really the beginning of an entire series that I'm going to be announcing over the next few weeks that you will be able to buy.

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