Shanli Liu, CPA, CTPFreedomfolio · I help 7 to 8 figure service business owners and ecommerce sellers keep 10K to 75K of profit- without IRS headaches | CPA. Virtual CFO. Tax Resolution Pro | $5MM+client tax savings | Book a free 15 min strategy call

Use "But" The Right Way

Name: Use "But" The Right Way
Uploaded: 2025-06-16T22:30:06+00:00
Duration: 56 s
Channel: Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP
Description: In this brief presentation, the speaker explains how the placement of statements around the conjunction 'but' influences audience perception. By leading…

16 Jun 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:56

In this brief presentation, the speaker explains how the placement of statements around the conjunction 'but' influences audience perception. By leading with a negative or less appealing claim before 'but', the speaker gains trust and then shifts emphasis to the positive benefit in the clause after 'but'. The talk illustrates the technique with multiple examples—markers that smell bad but last longer, Viagra’s limited duration but promised enjoyment, ugly‑looking websites that still convert, and boring systems that function reliably. The core message is that structuring language with 'but' acts as an amplifier, allowing potentially damaging information to be presented in a compelling way.

Chapters

I said, hey, these markers smell like shit, but they write 4 times longer than other markers and they don't dry out. You're like, wow, I now believe that more than if I just said these markers last 4 times longer than other markers before they dry out. Now watch this. Let's flip it. These markers write 4 times longer than others, but they smell like crap. What am I emphasizing? I'm actually emphasizing the fact that they smell bad, not the fact that they write longer. And so we use the first part to gain trust for the second half of the statement. Viagra only works for 4 to 6 hours, but you're going to have the time of your life. It might raise your blood pressure, but you're going to have an amazing night. Our websites are ugly as hell, but they convert, right? Our systems are incredibly boring, but they work. If I said our systems work, but they're incredibly boring, I'm going to emphasize on the boring part, not on the fact that they work. By how you organize your language around words like but, which are amplifiers, it allows you to say damaging emissions in a way that's compelling.