How the RALS Method Was Born

Image courtesy of ManorVision

Not as a writing formula… but as a communication discovery

RALS Summary

• Riff: The authentic spark.
• Anchor: Lived experience grounding.
• Lift: Shared recognition.
• Shred: Remove excess, leave clarity

There was no moment where I sat down and decided to invent a framework.
RALS wasn’t designed.
It was noticed.
It emerged slowly… from friction, failure, and a pattern I couldn’t ignore.
And like most real discoveries… it began with discomfort.

The First Crack — “Verbose”

Years ago, while working inside a corporate environment, I was asked for my opinion on a serious matter by a senior executive.

I delivered what I believed was thorough, intelligent, complete.

• Every angle covered.
• Every implication explored.
• Nothing left unsaid.

His response was immediate and sharp:
“We know you’re smart. Bullet points are fine. This is verbose.”

That word stayed with me.
Verbose.

At first I resisted it.
Then I defended myself.
Then I replayed it… over and over… until something uncomfortable surfaced:

• I wasn’t explaining.
• I was proving.

Trying to demonstrate intelligence… rather than transfer meaning.
That realization didn’t feel good… but it mattered.

The Pattern Appears

That moment wasn’t isolated.

• A colleague once said: “You text worse than my teenage daughter. I’m not reading all that.”
• Someone close to me, after asking my opinion, said bluntly: “When I ask a question, I wish you’d stop talking sooner.”
• A mentor told me: “You don’t need to melt people’s faces off every time. Most people can’t follow you that deep.”

I began noticing something.
During explanations, I often saw a specific look in the listener’s eyes… the moment attention vanished.
I called it the F-16 flyover.
Engagement… then overload… then gone.

The message wasn’t failing because the idea was wrong.
It was failing because the delivery was misaligned with how people absorb meaning.
That observation became the first real light bulb.

Music Revealed the Structure

Around this time, a strange connection formed.
I thought about legendary guitar solos… moments of intensity, clarity, and emotional impact.
“Face Melting Solos”

Then a realization hit:
If the solo started the song… it would lose its power.
The solo works because of what precedes it.

• Before the explosion… there is a riff.
• Before the lift… there is grounding.
• Before the climax… there is tension and recognition.

Communication, I realized, follows the same structure.

• Not persuasion.
• Not performance.

Resonance.

The Shift — From Proving to Transferring

Through deep reflection, one core truth surfaced:
The issue was never knowledge.
It was delivery wrapped in the need to prove credibility.
Once I removed the need to impress… communication changed.
And a natural sequence revealed itself.
Not invented.
Observed.

The Structure That Emerged

The pattern became clear enough to name:
RALS — Riff, Anchor, Lift, Shred
Not a writing formula.
A communication framework.

RIFF — The Spark
Every real message begins with a pulse… an observation… something noticed by someone paying attention.
The Riff captures that spark before it becomes diluted by performance.
This is where truth enters.

ANCHOR — The Grounding
Once the spark appears, it must be grounded in lived experience.
The Anchor answers the unspoken question:
Why are you qualified to speak on this?

• Not credentials.
• Not titles.
• Experience.

When this is accepted… the listener lowers their guard.

The Handoff — Where Ownership Transfers
Between Anchor and Lift lies an invisible moment.
If the first two stages are true… the listener stops consuming and starts identifying.

• The message becomes personal.
• They see themselves in it.
• This is not persuasion.

This is transfer.

LIFT — The Illumination
Once ownership shifts, the message lifts.
Not instruction.
Not pressure.

• Clarity.
• Perspective.
• Meaning.
• Recognition.

The listener now holds the message… not you.

SHRED — The Compression
Finally, everything unnecessary is removed.

• No ego.
• No excess.
• No performance.

Only light remains.

• Clear.
• Sharp.
• Transferable.

What RALS Actually Is

The RALS Method is not a copywriting formula.

It is a communication framework discovered through lived experience… describing how meaning transfers between humans when:

• truth precedes persuasion
• identity precedes instruction
• clarity replaces performance

It applies everywhere communication exists:

• Writing
• Conversation
• Teaching
• Leadership
• Storytelling
• Even silence

Because RALS is not about writing.
It is about resonance.

Why It Matters Now

We are entering a world where:

• Content is infinite
• Persuasion is obvious
• Intelligence is cheap

Machines can generate endless words.
But they struggle to replicate authentic transmission.
RALS works because it does not try to convince.
It allows recognition to occur.
And recognition… is how trust forms.

The Discovery, Not the Invention

RALS was never engineered.
It surfaced from observing:

• When communication fails
• When meaning transfers
• When people feel seen
• When a message becomes theirs

Once seen… it could not be unseen.
And once named… it could be shared.

One Candle Lighting Another

RALS is a gift, not a tactic.

• It does not push.
• It does not corner.
• It does not force action.

It offers something instead:

• A piece of truth.
• A fragment of perspective.
• A spark.

What the receiver does with it… is theirs.
And sometimes… that spark lights another candle.

That is enough.

Bob

More on the RALS Method

The RALS Method™: Riff, Anchor, Lift, Shred

The Age of Unmasking: Identity,AI, and the Rise of Recognition Capital

What the RALS Method™ Actually Delivers

What Is the RALS Method™?

About Bob Manor 

Bob Manor is the founder of  South Ontario Auto Remarketing , Can-Am Dealer Services , and co-founder of Auto Auction Review. He’s also the creator of  Influence.vin, a branding and communication studio built for the car business. With over 30 years in the automotive world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and identity-driven brand strategy. He’s a regular contributor to well-known automotive publications and uses his platforms to help industry pros re-align with who they are, not just what they do

Disclaimer:
These are my own observations and interpretations, based on lived experience inside this industry.
This is not financial, legal, or professional advice ... it is pattern recognition, shared for awareness and strategic consideration only