Lessons from "Words That Work" by Frank Luntz

What if I told you that words are not just sounds or symbols, but weapons—sharpened and honed to carve reality itself?

Some words ignite revolutions. Others lull entire societies into submission. A single phrase can win an election, sell a billion-dollar product, or turn a harmless idea into an existential threat.

Yet most people treat language like air—necessary, invisible, and unexamined. But words aren’t passive. They shape what we believe, what we fear, what we fight for. And those who understand their power don’t just speak—they control the conversation.

Take two men standing before a nation, each with a simple message. One says, “Yes, we can.” The other declares, “Make America Great Again.” Two slogans, six words total, and yet each carries the weight of history, the pulse of a movement, the force of persuasion.

Why do some words stick like glue while others dissolve into nothing? Why do certain phrases make us feel safe, while others trigger outrage?

In Words That Work, Frank Luntz reveals a truth that most overlook: It’s not what you say—it’s what people hear. And what people hear is rarely what you intended.

So today, we’re peeling back the curtain on the science of language. We’ll explore why simplicity beats sophistication, why framing is more powerful than facts, and how a single misplaced word can shatter an entire message.

Because whether you’re a politician, a CEO, a marketer, or just someone trying to win an argument—mastering language is the closest thing we have to mind control.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S WHAT PEOPLE HEAR 

Imagine standing in front of a crowd, delivering what you believe is a flawless speech—only to see confused faces, crossed arms, and skeptical stares. You thought you were being clear, but the words you spoke and the words they heard were not the same.

This isn’t just a communication problem. It’s a perception problem.

See, language isn’t about what’s spoken—it’s about what’s received. The same phrase can inspire or enrage, reassure or repel, depending on the listener’s beliefs, emotions, and biases. And those who understand this don’t just talk—they shape reality.

Take the phrase global warming. It sounds urgent, right? A crisis. A fire alarm for the planet. Now swap it with climate change. Softer. Less alarming. More... inevitable. Same concept, completely different psychological response.

Or consider estate tax. A neutral, bureaucratic term—until someone, somewhere, reframed it as the death tax. One suggests a legal procedure, the other sounds like the government taxing you for dying. That simple shift in wording changed public opinion overnight.

This is why politicians don’t “cut” taxes—they offer tax relief. Because relief implies suffering. And if you’re getting relief, someone must have been hurting you. The opposition doesn’t stand a chance before a single vote is even cast.

And it’s not just politics. In business, the difference between a best-selling product and a total failure often comes down to a few words. Take Starbucks—do they sell medium coffee? No. It’s Grande. Because Grande sounds premium, exotic, indulgent. Meanwhile, McDonald’s went the opposite route—Supersize. Bigger, better, American excess. Two companies, two markets, two perfectly crafted messages.

The lesson? The words you choose don’t just describe reality. They define it.

So the next time you hear a debate, an ad, a political speech—listen carefully. Not just to what is being said, but to how it’s being framed. Because once you understand that words are perception tools, you stop taking language at face value.

And more importantly? You start using it to your advantage.

SIMPLE WORDS WIN BIG

Complicated words don’t make you sound smarter. They make you sound forgettable.

The human brain is wired for simplicity. We remember what’s easy, repeat what’s catchy, and ignore anything that feels like mental effort. That’s why the best communicators—whether they’re world leaders, billion-dollar brands, or cultural icons—strip their language down to its essence.

Take Apple. When Steve Jobs launched the iPod, he didn’t say, “Our new device features a 5GB hard drive with MP3 compatibility.” He said, “1,000 songs in your pocket.” No jargon, no specs—just a vivid, effortless idea.

Now contrast that with Microsoft’s Zune, which was marketed as “a portable digital media player with a wireless sharing feature.” Sounds like a tech manual. Guess which product became a cultural phenomenon and which one is now a trivia question?

The same rule applies in politics. Barack Obama didn’t say, “A policy agenda rooted in progressive values of community engagement and economic revitalization.” He said, “Yes, we can.” Three words. Simple, direct, and unforgettable.

And when Donald Trump ran for office, he didn’t talk about economic policy or geopolitical strategy. He hammered the same four words over and over: “Make America Great Again.” Simple enough to fit on a hat. Effective enough to change the course of history.

But why does this work?

Because people don’t think in paragraphs. They think in snapshots. In soundbites. In phrases they can hold onto without effort. And the best communicators don’t fight that—they use it.

Want proof? Look at fast food menus. McDonald’s didn’t call its biggest meal the Extra-Large Value Combination with a Caloric Boost. They called it the Big Mac. Two words. Easy to say, impossible to forget.

Meanwhile, Tesla didn’t market their cars as “Electronically Propelled Vehicles with Advanced Lithium-Ion Technology.” They called it Ludicrous Mode. Because Ludicrous Mode doesn’t sound like science—it sounds like fun.

The takeaway? Complexity kills attention.

If your message is hard to understand, it’s your fault, not your audience’s. Because the most powerful words aren’t the ones that make you look smart. They’re the ones that make your ideas stick.

So whether you’re selling a product, pitching an idea, or just trying to be heard—cut the fluff, drop the jargon, and say it simply. Because simple words win big. Every time.

EMOTION TRUMPS LOGIC

People like to believe they’re logical. That they make decisions based on facts, numbers, and reason. But here’s the truth—logic doesn’t move people. Emotion does.

We don’t vote for policies. We vote for how a candidate makes us feel. We don’t buy products for their features. We buy them for the story they tell us about ourselves. And we don’t change our minds because of data. We change because of emotionally charged moments that make us see the world differently.

This is why the most persuasive words aren’t designed to convince you. They’re designed to make you feel something.

Take one of the most effective phrases in political history: “War on Terror.” It doesn’t explain policy. It doesn’t give specifics. It creates an emotion—fear, urgency, a sense of duty. Now imagine if the government had instead called it “Counterterrorism Initiatives.” Sounds like a boring committee meeting. No emotional weight. No rallying cry.

Or look at the advertising world. When Nike tells you to “Just Do It,” they aren’t giving you a literal instruction. They’re tapping into drive, ambition, defiance. Compare that to something like “High-Performance Athletic Footwear for Active Individuals.” It’s accurate—but it’s also dead on arrival.

The same principle applies in business. When Apple launched the iPhone, they didn’t say, “A smartphone with an intuitive user interface and advanced computational capabilities.” They said, “This changes everything.” A bold promise. A feeling of revolution. An emotional hook.

And emotions aren’t just for inspiration—they’re for persuasion. Because once someone feels something, they’ll move mountains to justify it with logic afterward.

Look at the phrases used in public debates:

• “Gun control” vs. “Gun safety.” One sounds restrictive, the other protective.
• “Universal healthcare” vs. “Government-run healthcare.” Same idea, but one feels like security while the other feels like bureaucracy.
• “Pro-life” vs. “Pro-choice.” Notice neither side uses words like “abortion” or “rights”—because that’s not what wins hearts and minds.

The most powerful communicators in history—MLK, JFK, Oprah, even Steve Jobs—didn’t rely on facts alone. They felt their words. And so did their audiences.

Because at the end of the day, people don’t follow logic. They follow emotions wrapped in the right words.

So if you want to persuade, don’t argue facts—craft feeling. Because emotion doesn’t just win arguments. It wins everything.

THE ART OF FRAMING

Words don’t just describe reality. They create it.

And the way a message is framed—the words used to package an idea—can completely change how people perceive it. The facts stay the same, but the story shifts. And when the story shifts, so does public opinion, buying behavior, and even history itself.

This is called framing, and it’s one of the most powerful tools in language.

Let’s say you’re about to undergo surgery. The doctor gives you two options:

• “90% of patients survive this procedure.”
• “10% of patients die during this procedure.”

Same numbers. Same risk. But one feels reassuring, while the other plants fear in your mind. That’s the power of framing.

This happens in politics all the time. Take government spending. If you support it, you call it an investment in the future. If you oppose it, you call it reckless government waste.

Look at taxation. The rich paying more? That’s either fairness or class warfare, depending on who’s talking. Cutting taxes? That’s either stimulating the economy or starving social programs.

And it’s not just in politics—it’s in business, too.

Would you rather buy “beef that’s 75% lean” or “beef that’s 25% fat”? Logically, they’re the same. But one makes you think of a healthier meal, and the other makes you imagine grease dripping off your plate.

Framing is why Apple doesn’t sell a “pricey phone”—they sell “a premium experience”. It’s why Disney doesn’t have “employees”—they have “cast members”. It’s why a used car is now a certified pre-owned vehicle.

And it works on perception beyond marketing.

• A protester is a freedom fighter—or a rioter.
• A whistleblower is a truth-teller—or a traitor.
• A refugee is seeking safety—or invading the country.

The words you choose don’t just inform—they influence. And the best communicators know that the same fact, framed differently, can turn skepticism into support, resistance into acceptance, indifference into outrage.

So next time you hear an argument, a debate, or even a sales pitch—ask yourself: How is this being framed? And more importantly: How would I frame it to get the result I want?

Because once you understand the art of framing, you stop reacting to words—and start controlling them.

REPETITION MAKES IDEAS STICK

Repetition is brainwashing—when used against you. But when you use it deliberately, it’s persuasion.

Because the human brain is lazy. It takes shortcuts. And one of its biggest shortcuts? Familiarity equals truth.

The more we hear something, the more we believe it. Not because it’s correct. Not because it’s logical. But because it feels true. That’s why repetition is one of the most powerful tools in language.

Advertisers know this. That’s why Nike doesn’t change its slogan every year—it’s always Just Do It. McDonald’s doesn’t experiment with new catchphrases—they stick with I’m Lovin’ It. Coca-Cola isn’t trying new taglines—they just remind you, over and over, that Coke is The Real Thing.

And in politics? The same rule applies.

Ronald Reagan didn’t give voters ten different reasons to support him. He drilled the same phrase into their minds: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Simple. Repeated. Impossible to ignore.

Barack Obama? “Yes, we can.”
Donald Trump? “Make America Great Again.”
Both sides of the aisle, same technique—say it, say it again, then say it again.

And it’s not just about branding. Repetition is how propaganda works. How myths spread. How lies become fact in people’s minds.

Think about it. If you hear a claim once, you question it. If you hear it twice, you notice it. But if you hear it a hundred times? It starts to feel inevitable.

That’s why news cycles hammer the same words, why talking points are repeated across interviews, why slogans are blasted on billboards, TV, and social media—because the more we hear something, the more it embeds itself in our thinking.

And it doesn’t have to be true to work.

• People believed spinach had super-high iron levels because of a math error in a research paper—repeated for decades.
• The phrase “you only use 10% of your brain” is a complete myth, but Hollywood, self-help books, and even teachers repeated it until it became common knowledge.
• The idea that sugar makes kids hyperactive? Zero scientific proof. But parents have said it so often that it feels undeniable.

Repetition is a psychological hack. If something is said enough, it doesn’t just sound familiar—it sounds right.

So here’s the takeaway: if you want your words to stick, don’t just say them once. Say them again. And again. And again.

Because the most persuasive message isn’t always the smartest one—it’s the one you’ve heard the most.

LANGUAGE IN ACTION – HOW TO USE THIS IN REAL LIFE

You don’t have to be a politician, a CEO, or a best-selling author to use language effectively. You just have to understand how people think.

Because persuasion isn’t magic. It’s not some rare talent reserved for world leaders and marketing geniuses. It’s a skill. A learnable, repeatable skill. And once you master it, you can shape conversations, shift perspectives, and make your words impossible to ignore.

So how do you do it? Simple. You apply everything we’ve covered—deliberately.

Step 1: Keep It Simple

Want to get people on board with your idea? Cut the fluff. Say less, but say it better.

Instead of saying, “We need to maximize operational efficiencies to streamline productivity,” just say, “Let’s make this process faster and easier.”

Instead of saying, “I require your assistance to complete this objective,” say, “I need your help.”

Every extra word is an extra obstacle. The fewer obstacles between your message and your listener’s brain, the more powerful your words become.

Step 2: Make It Emotional

Facts inform. Emotions persuade. So if you’re trying to convince someone, don’t just give them numbers—give them a feeling.

If you’re in sales, don’t sell a product. Sell a transformation. A better life. A problem solved. A weight lifted.

If you’re in an argument, don’t drown people in logic. Make them feel the consequences of being wrong. People will defend logic all day long—but their emotions? Those can turn on a dime.

Step 3: Frame It the Right Way

Whatever you’re trying to say, ask yourself: How does this sound from the other person’s perspective? Because framing is everything.

Want a raise? Don’t say, “I deserve more money.” Say, “I’ve brought in X amount of value, and I’d love to discuss aligning my compensation with that impact.”

Want to convince a friend to try something new? Don’t say, “You should do this.” Say, “Imagine how much fun it would be if we did this together.”

Shift the framing, shift the response.

Step 4: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

One-and-done doesn’t work. If you want an idea to stick, say it again. Then again. And again.

If you’re leading a team, repeat your vision so often they start saying it before you do.
If you’re persuading someone, restate your key point in different ways until it sinks in.
If you’re branding yourself, your business, your work—pick a message and hammer it home until it becomes second nature.

Because familiarity equals truth. And if you don’t repeat your message, someone else will repeat theirs louder.

Step 5: Listen More Than You Speak

Want to be a master communicator? Start by shutting up.

Because persuasion isn’t about talking—it’s about understanding. When you truly listen to what people care about, you’ll know exactly which words will move them.

So before you open your mouth, ask yourself: What does this person need to hear? Not what you want to say—what they need to hear. That’s the difference between a message that sticks and a message that gets ignored.

Final Thought: Words Are Power

Every negotiation, every argument, every conversation is an invisible battle of perception. And those who control the language control the outcome.

The difference between being ignored and being heard?
Between being dismissed and being respected?
Between failing and winning?

It’s not intelligence. It’s not status. It’s not luck.

It’s knowing how to use words that work.