There’s a new episode of 99% Invisible out this week about how the US legal system deals with emoji.

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Some lawyers submit them as evidence.

Some will challenge them as up for interpretation.

Some judges, on principle, ignore them altogether.

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One of the main examples is a contract dispute over whether a 👍 represented “I received it” or “I accept.”

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Some grey area, certainly, but the episode poses an exploration on why we use them in the first place.

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It’s because they’re shorthand.

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I know I use them for that reason.

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Sometimes because they save time.

(e.g. 👍 to a friend telling me they’re on their way.)

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Other times because I don’t have words right away.

(e.g. 😬 to a friend saying they’re fed up with their job and ready to quit.)

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One little symbol.

So much transmitted.

So quickly.

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That’s exactly what a good Intellectual Headshot does in your business.

It’s not just a visual.

It’s compression.

It’s transference.

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Instead of talking in circles about your niche, your POV, your approach…

You just show it.

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And suddenly, they’re nodding along.

They get it.

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They get to fast-forward into the next level of depth.

Moving past intros and niceties.

And into nuance and solution.

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Because that’s really the point.

We’re not looking to avoid talking to prospects.

We’re looking to make the most of the time spent with them.

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And if a crisp, clever visual that represents your unique lens on their problem can compress a 10-minute spiel into a few seconds’ glance…

You have that precious time back to really get deep in the details about what you can do for them.

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Do you have one of those ‘power visuals’?

The one that lights people up when they see it?

The one that lights you up when you share it?

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If not, maybe it’s time.

💡

-Wes

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P.S. I quietly opened up June spots for The IP Builder Sprint yesterday.

If you’re routinely feeling like your prospects just aren’t ‘getting’ who you are, what you do, or how you think, take a look. (And pardon the dust!)

Three openings available, and a little intro discount as a treat 😉