You don’t need a fancier funnel. You need bullets that make fingers twitch.
Fascinations—those short, punchy curiosity bullets—are the little salespeople that slip past resistance and whisper, “Just one click…” Done right, they spike desire, open loops, and compel action faster than a 50-page pitch deck.
Here’s the Makepeace-style playbook to turn your bullets into click-magnets.
What a “Fascination” Really Is
A fascination is a micro-promise wrapped in mystery.
Micro-promise = a specific gain the reader wants now
Mystery = just enough missing detail to force a click
If your bullet can be answered without clicking, it’s not a fascination—it’s a spoiler.
The Five Levers Behind Click-Itch
Outcome: A result they can picture today.
Mechanism: A named or hinted method that sounds fresh (“the 7-word reset,” “the 2-minute filter”).
Obstacle Flip: It works despite the reader’s excuses (“even if you hate selling”).
Status Tilt: It makes them feel smarter, faster, or ahead.
Open Loop: You withhold the one detail the brain can’t stand not knowing.
Stack 2–3 levers in each bullet and watch the click-through rise.
Makepeace-Style Bullet Formulas
Use these as fill-in-the-blank starters:
Outcome + Mechanism + Missing Link
“How to [big outcome] using the [named mechanism]—and the odd rule you must follow on page 3.”
Curious Contrast
“Why the worst time to [do X] is the only time pros do it (and how to turn it to profit in 10 minutes).”
Against-the-Grain Proof
“The case study that breaks the ‘more traffic’ myth—and the one metric that quietly doubles revenue.”
Risk Reversal Tease
“The 30-day test that tells you if your offer will win—before you spend a dime.”
Numbers + Oddity
“The ‘4-5-9’ sequence top closers rely on (miss any one and your demo rate falls 37%).”
Villain Reveal
“The invisible friction point that kills 3% of sales on every page—and the 8-word fix.”
21 Ready-to-Use Fascinations (Steal These)
For SaaS & B2B
“The 2-minute homepage filter that quietly adds 12–27% more demos—skip it and you’ll never know why traffic ‘doesn’t convert.’”
“Why shortening your form from 6 to 3 fields can lower conversions (and the one field you must keep).”
“The ‘meeting math’ subject line that fills calendars without sounding salesy.”
“A single sentence that turns tire-kickers into booked calls—buried in the second email.”
For Local/Service Businesses
“The one photo your competitors never use—yet it makes quote requests jump in 48 hours.”
“How to triple referrals with a 30-second ‘thank-you’ line your staff can memorize.”
“The three-word sign that sells more than a coupon.”
For Email & Funnels
“The ‘yes-set’ opener that doubles replies—without fake personalization.”
“A polite way to ‘fire’ bad leads that increases revenue next month.”
“The 7-word PS that revives 6% more abandoned carts.”
For Offers & Pricing
“Why your ‘good/better/best’ is costing you margin—and the ladder that makes the middle option irresistible.”
“The $0 upgrade that bumps AOV by 14%—because brains love finishing things.”
For Copy & Positioning
“The headline swap that makes strangers ‘get it’ in five seconds flat.”
“A dead-simple proof formula that lets you promise more without sounding hypey.”
“The sneaky way to make features feel like outcomes (works even for ‘boring’ products).”
For Alternative Health & E-comm
“The morning ‘micro-move’ that smooths energy crashes (backed by a counterintuitive mineral ratio).”
“A spice-rack fix for late-night cravings—and the timing window that matters.”
“Why your ‘healthy’ snack triggers hunger—and the label line that exposes it.”
For Sales Calls
“The pre-call email that makes prospects sell you on the call.”
“How to answer ‘Can you lower the price?’ so you keep margin and win goodwill.”
For LinkedIn & Authority
“The 10-minute weekly post that silently builds deal flow—structure inside.”
The Click-Itch Checklist (Run Every Bullet Through This)
Can the reader answer it without clicking? If yes, kill it.
Is there a concrete payoff? “Better” is mushy. “Book 3–5 more demos” is money.
Is there a fresh mechanism? Name it, hint it, or make it weird enough to stand out.
Does it flip a common belief? Contrarian (but true) beats conventional (and dull).
Is it tight? 12–22 words is the sweet spot.
One idea only. No commas if you can help it. Punch. Stop. Next bullet.
Where to Place Fascinations (So They Actually Get Clicked)
Above the fold: A short stack of 3–7 bullets under a promise headline.
After proof: Sprinkle bullets to re-open curiosity once logic is satisfied.
In emails: Use 3 bullets as the body, each linking to the same CTA.
On product pages: Replace feature lists with fascinations that translate features → outcomes.
In social posts: Tease with 2 bullets + a cliffhanger… link in the first comment or CTA button.
Let me know if you ever need help with fascinations and more!
