MYBRAND: Pivot Point

From Phillip Davis:
A client of mine was at a loss on how to grow his tuxedo business. It was post 9-11 and the mood was anything but festive. When I asked him what business he was in, he was flabbergasted, "Tuxedos of course!". In fact he was the second generation of tuxedo sellers. But then I prodded him again. "Do men really want to wear heavy, tight-fitting, expensive tuxedos?" He thought for a moment and finally replied no. As he sat confused, I asked him again, "What business are you really in... what do that makes customers love you?" His eyes widened and he replied "We make men look good!"He had discovered his "pivot point".

Question for myself: What business am I in?
Answer: I'm a writer.
Question: Do your customers really want to slog through page after page of words?
Answer: No.

A recent client said: "Your dialog is always entertaining to read..." I entertain people. But isn't that true, or theoretically true, of every writer? I guess making men look good is true of every tuxedo seller. Now I'm going to go look up the word entertain:

To hold the attention of with something amusing or diverting. See Synonyms at amuse.
To extend hospitality toward: entertain friends at dinner.
To consider; contemplate: entertain an idea.
To hold in mind; harbor: entertained few illusions.
Archaic. To continue with; maintain.
Obsolete. To employ; hire.
To give admittance to; receive.
v 1: provide entertainment for 2: take into consideration, have in view; "He entertained the notion of moving to South America" [syn: think of, toy with, flirt with, think about] 3: maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment"

I wish more people would entertain me in the obsolete sense. ;)

I like these other definitions of entertain, because I do want to take into consideration and have a view -- a different one... and then perhaps maintain them throughout a script. So in every sense of the word, I entertain. Yet if I simply said "I entertain" in conversation, well, few would think of these other definitions. Maybe the direct object of entertain is the key. If I could think of a word that implies both people and a notion at the same time, so it would evoke both ideas and audiences, that would be fab.

Random ideas popping into my head:

I entertain catastrophes.
I entertain murderers.
I entertain searchlights.
I entertain development execs.
I entertain fairies.
I entertain thinkers.
I entertain players.
I entertain ideas.
I entertain epics.
I entertain cynics.
I entertain consquentialists.
I entertain egregious wastes of time.
I entertain time.
I entertain myself, at least.
I entertain seekers. -- oo, that's kinda good.
I entertain truth.
I entertain lies.

This actually might be kind of a good list as part of my ultimate webpage... a list of things I entertain.

I like the seeker one, but I'm somewhat reluctant to say I entertain seekers, because what if someone considers themself a seeker and they're not entertained? Also, if you say it, you have to think about it for awhile... I'd have to explain myself, so not too cool.