Practical Sales Training™ > How to connect with your buyer > By the time you read this
By The Time You Read This
You want your buyer to feel a number, not just read it. So you tie it to the exact time they spend reading your sentence. That’s by the time you read this, and it turns a statistic into a moment.
Why Does It Work
It works because it makes the number feel real, right now. So instead of “every day X happens,” the buyer pictures it happening live. That single shift in framing changes everything. A fact you read is forgettable, but one happening beside you is not.
How Can You Use It
Find Something That Happens Constantly
Find something that happens often enough to matter. Because a single event over a few seconds needs real volume behind it. So look for a process that’s constant, ongoing, and large scale.
Calculate The Real Figure
Calculate exactly how long your sentence takes to read. Then divide the daily or yearly figure by that time. So the number stays accurate. Test your sentence out loud first, and time it properly before you commit.
When It Works Best
This works best with big, ongoing numbers, since the effect depends on real scale. Causes, sustainability messages and urgency-driven offers all suit it. So use it wherever a large process runs constantly in the background.
When It Becomes Dangerous
It becomes dangerous when the maths is wrong or rounded for effect. Because one inaccurate figure and the whole technique collapses under scrutiny. So check your numbers twice, and never guess at the figure.
Common Mistakes
Rounding The Numbers
Rounding the numbers for impact is the most common mistake I see. Because a buyer who checks your figure and finds it wrong stops trusting you. So keep the maths honest. Even a smaller number works.
Using It Where It Isn’t Urgent
Using this for something that isn’t urgent is the second mistake. If the underlying issue is small or rare, the technique feels forced. So save it for problems with real scale behind them.
By The Time You Read This – An Example
The Vegan Advert
This vegan advert shows how many animals die for human consumption, every few seconds. So the number keeps climbing, even while you’re still reading the sentence. It’s mind boggling, and that’s exactly the point.
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