Twisting the knife – do you ever use this expression?
In Dutch, we call it “rubbing salt in the wound”.
With twisting the knife, there is a wound as well. You worsen the pain by twisting the knife while it’s still inside the wound.
Communication people will sometimes suggest ‘twisting the knife’. The profession has some sadistic tendencies 😉
In communication, twisting the knife means that you emphasize the problem. The problem that you solve with your product, research or proposal.
Your audience is more receptive to your solution if it really feels the problem. Long enough. Intensely enough.
Let’s say I sell practical support for expats, to organisations that hire these expats. For instance, help with legal documents, housing, healthcare, transport and banking.
Usually it’s the organisation’s HR employees who arrange these practical things. This takes up a lot of their time, because they aren’t familiar with the many rules and bureaucratic layers. That is the problem I solve.
So what does it look like if I twist the knife in this story?
Most HR employees are already swamped with work. If we add even more things to their to-do lists, the other tasks will be left unfinished, or the employees might get burned out.
There is also the risk that the expat will have to start their new job later than planned, while the organisation is already paying their salary. This may cost hundreds of euros a day. And the projects that the expat was supposed to work on will get delayed.
Feel the pain?
Once you do, I tell you more about my offerings…
Regards,
Arnaud