People want to be inspired. They want to aspire to something. ... You can have the best product, the best service, the best argument in a debate. But without the effective words you still lose. In the end you need good principles and good language if you are to succeed.

Frank Luntz

It's not what you say, it's what people hear.

Frank Luntz

people

A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth.

Frank Luntz

compelling dry stories

The Tucson speech [of Barack Obama] was brilliant, and I'm so angry at Republicans for jumping on him because you have to give credit. Part of being successful is to give credit to people who you may not disagree with when they do well.

Frank Luntz

jumping successful people

Winners know what makes people tick by effectively tapping into our fears and aspirations. By listening very carefully and then repeating almost word-for-word exactly what they've heard, winners know how to articulate compelling needs—and products to satisfy those needs—that people didn't even know they wanted.

Frank Luntz

listening people needs

You cannot lie ever, because a lie destroys the credibility of the product, and credibility is more important than anything. Credibility's even more important than clarity.

Frank Luntz

clarity important lying

What matters most in politics is personality. It's not issues; it's not image. It's who you are and what you represent.

Frank Luntz

issues what-matters personality

We are so divided, and we recognize that we're divided, that we're looking for ways to come together.

Frank Luntz

divided together way

The way you communicate an idea is different than the way you communicate a product.

Frank Luntz

different talking ideas

It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. When we are on vacation, we are not rational; we are emotional.

Frank Luntz

vacation emotional emotion

The eureka moment is two reasons why the output-based standard should be adopted: common sense and accountability. Input-based standards don't encourage energy diversity; they don't create any incentives; they don't produce solar, hydro, nuclear.

Frank Luntz

common-sense diversity two

Anything that causes you to doubt, to raise either objections or just concerns about it - and they always put the information right at the bottom of the screen so you can't really read it - every time you see a company do that, the ad becomes less effective. The communication becomes less effective.

Frank Luntz

information communication doubt

There are people still in the Republican Party that I believe practice the communication of anger, of disappointment, of regret, of pain, of sorrow, of suffering. That's not what the American people want to hear.

Frank Luntz

regret pain disappointment

While it is important to trash the governor, it should be done in the context of regret, sadness and balance.

Frank Luntz

balance sadness regret

It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. When we are on vacation, we are not rational; we are emotional. When we are happy, we are not [rational]. In fact, in more cases than not, when we are rational, we're actually unhappy. Emotion is good; passion is good. Being into what we're into, provided that it's a healthy pursuit, it's a good thing.

Frank Luntz

vacation passion emotional

I do a lot of work in travel and tourism, and I think this story is in the book. This woman is in a hammock, and she's got the beach below her and the sky above her, and the ocean beyond her. She's relaxing. She's got a drink in her hand and a book. Every woman sees this picture and says, I want to be in that hammock. Every guy sees the picture and says, I want to be in that hammock with that woman. It works for everybody.

Frank Luntz

ocean beach book

It is acceptable to bring someone to tears if it explains to them in an emotional way why a product, a service, or a candidate is the right person, is the right thing to do.

Frank Luntz

emotional tears way

Nothing guarantees more applause and more support than the call to abolish the IRS.

Frank Luntz

irs support guarantees

If you're a good numbers person, you're a bad language person.

Frank Luntz

language persons numbers

The adjectives that are in the book ["Win"] - passion, persuasion, persistence, perfection, prioritization, being people-centered - none of them are as important as principles. Without principles, the language will fail.

Frank Luntz

persistence passion book

I don't understand why people whose entire lives or their corporate success depends on communication, and yet they are led on occasion by CEOs who cannot talk their way out of a paper bag and don't care to.

Frank Luntz

congratulations communication people