Today’s my last day in the high desert.

I’m sitting on the banks of a river after a quick, frigid dip in the icy water.

The sun is out. People are laughing across the channel.

Soaking up the sun of the holiday weekend.

But I’m focused on the horizon now, an immeasurable distance beyond the sparse desert greenery.

And I’m thinking about the furious thunderstorm clouds that are quickly swelling into a huge, white-blue-gray storm on that horizon line.

A storm that will, with all certainty, throw water and lightning and thunder from the sky just a few short hours from now.

Precisely at the moment my friends are getting married.

At an outdoor location.

Just a few short miles from where I am sitting now.

It’s not just a possibility. At this point, it’s all but inevitable.

A wedding day ruined by a freak thunderstorm. Nowhere where to run or hide. Nothing to protect the gown or the suit or the flowers or the guests.

No vows. No dinner. No cake. A crying bride.

All of it, ruined.

Okay, okay.

I think you see what I’m doing here.

If you don’t, here’s the idea.

I’m painting a very vivid picture of how terrible things could get if the thunderstorm isn’t addressed and precautions aren’t taken for this wedding.

I call this the “horizon storm” technique.

And you can use it to potentially sell a lot more preventative products and services with your copy.

All it takes is painting a picture of that storm in your prospect’s mind.

Talk about it swelling to an uncontrollable degree … and how it could rain problems upon them if they don’t address it very, very soon.

A subtle urgency is key here.

And a vivid mental image — relevant to your market — is essential.

But more on this another time.

Because right now it’s sunny outside. And my friends are knocking on my door. And if I don’t answer the door, I think they might be angry. And if they’re angry, they might never talk to me again and —

Ah, you get the idea.

David Patrick