A great example of a time shift phrase at work is this pitch from Mad Men (I’ve linked to this pitch scene many times, so you’ve probably seen it):
The pitch starts with:
“My first job…”
Remember, starting your pitch with a time shift phrase is a subtle but potent way to juice the oxytocin (trust hormone) levels in your customers’ brains.
Other things that juice the oxytocin: Location shift phrases: "A customer in Manchester…" "A friend in Frankfurt…" Remember how stories often start out: "Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…" We've been trained since childhood to respond to phrases like that....
I talk a lot on here about breaking patterns. The other day I broke one of my own patterns, and I didn't even mean to. I was talking to a friend. He said, "People only value what they pay for." "True," I replied. Up until a few days ago, I considered that one of those...
Think of when you were a kid. Who do you trust when you are a kid? Probably your mom and dad. What are your mom and dad often doing? Telling you a story. What do a lot of stories begin with? A time shift phrase. So you see, humans have been trained since birth that...