Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
April 30, 2007
Issue #112
The Five Most Common Blunders
My Copy Cubs Make
And How to Avoid Each One
Dear Business Builder,
Wendy hosted a horse show at our place on Saturday – which gave me the excuse to take my new Porsche 911 Turbo out to slay The Dragon.
Never heard of The Dragon? Most people haven’t.
It’s a humble, shoulderless, two-lane blacktop – officially designated US 129 – that snakes up through the North Carolina Smokies from Robbinsville … around the West end of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park … past picturesque lakes and cliffs with 100-mile views … to a mountain pass they call Deal’s Gap.
All the way to The Gap, you’re immersed in breathtaking scenery – and as the road winds up the mountain, increasingly radical curves.
Near the top – where US 129 collides with US 28 – you’ll find The Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort.
If it’s a weekend, you’ll see hundreds of GSX-Rs, Hayabusas, ZX 14s, ZZR 1400s and other scorching-fast sport bikes – and more Corvettes, WRXs, Austin Minis and Miatas than you could possibly shake a dipstick at.
You’ll also see The Tree of Shame – decorated with parts from the motorcycles and cars that “almost” made it through the next 11 miles unscathed.
… Because this is where highway 129 sheds all pretense of being merely a “challenging” road and becomes The Dragon.
The next few miles down the mountain into Tennessee boast 318 of the tightest, most vicious curves anywhere in the world. One-hundred-eighty-degree curves. Off-chambre curves. Blind, decreasing-radius curves.
Every 183 feet or so. For eleven heart-stopping miles.
And many of them run right along the edge of a cliff.
Entire sections of The Dragon are so treacherous, they’ve earned names like “The Switchbacks” … “Rebel’s Revenge” … “Gravity Cavity” …”The Chicanes” … and “Killboy’s Corner.”
Scary – right? You bet – which is why speed freaks all over the world dream about their first dance with The Dragon.
Since it’s less than one hour from my garage, I’ll betcha I’ve straightened out those curves maybe 100 times or more. And each time I go, I meet guys and gals who actually shipped their bikes from Great Britain … Europe … and even Japan – just to earn that little yellow dragon sticker for their helmets.
But some of the folks you’ll meet on The Dragon just shouldn’t be there. We call them “The Squibs” – with their brand-new bikes, brand-new leathers and maybe 100 miles of total riding experience under their butts.
Watching them is to the eyes what a fingernail being scraped across a chalkboard is to the ears …
They get into gravel at the edge and wind up sliding down the road as if it were coated with ice …
Or, they tear into a blind curve too fast and – blissfully unaware that the turn is about to tighten up on them – they wind up in a tree …
Then, there are the really, really dumb ones: The Squibs who cross the double-yellow to pass on blind curves.
With hundreds of bikes, sports cars, family cars and even trucks plying The Dragon on a weekend day – precisely half of them in the on-coming lane – those Squibs might as well be playing Russian Roulette with three rounds in the cylinder.
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Posted by:
John Newtson
April 28, 2007
Issue #111
In this issue:
- A gorgeous model of how to make millions with direct marketing …
- Why making sure your lead generation campaigns never make you money could be the best thing you ever do for your business …
- The direct response business model major mailers follow to generate maximum customers and profits ….
- And much, MUCH MORE!
Dear Business Builder,
Direct response marketing is the marketing model that gives you the fastest, most effective way to attract more customers and sell more things to them.
And today we’re going to look at a couple of Super Models of the business.
Let’s take a famous example, Gary Halbert’s ‘Coat of Arms’ letter that spawned an enormously profitable business and was mailed somewhere in the neighborhood of 600,000,000 times.
That’s equivalent to mailing a letter to every man, woman and child in the entire United States, twice.
And when you read the letter, you’d almost never believe it because it’s not high energy … it doesn’t even have a headline or subheads … no complex closing strategy … or price justification.. and doesn’t pile on the copywriting ‘bells and whistles.’
Here’s how the one page letter starts:
‘Did you know that your family name was recorded with a coat-of-arms in ancient heraldic archives more than seven centuries ago?
‘My husband and I discovered this while doing some research for some friends of ours who have the same last name as you do. We’ve had an artist re-create the coat-of-arms exactly as described in the ancient records. This drawing, along with other information about the name, has been printed into an attractive one-page report.’
The idea was pure genius and created a gorgeous example of a perfect direct response business model.
- THE PROSPECT UNIVERSE WAS GINORMOUS! They were actually able to mail to names in the PHONE BOOK! That’s unheard of in direct mail because without a tightly targeted list you’d lose your shirt in printing and postage costs because your response rate would suck.
- THE OFFER WAS IRRESISTABLE! Send in $2 for a special report about your family name and beautiful reproduction of your family’s coat-of-arms. That’s a slam dunk offer!
In an interview in Time magazine Dennis Haslinger, Gary’s partner in Halbert’s Inc. (the company formed around Gary’s idea), explained what they were really selling:
‘We sell instant ego. People get their shields because they are turned off by being a social security number. They want to remind themselves that they are something special.’
- A KILLER BACK END! They weren’t making their money on $2 reports – I’m sure that probably just covered their cost to get a new customer. The real money in direct response is in the SECOND SALE and the third, fourth and fifth sale to your existing customers.
Halbert’s Inc., had an array of products to offer you with your family crest – including a $350 deluxe wall plaque called ‘Cathedral Oak’ that was 22 inches high and mounted on hand-carved wood. (I wonder how many fireplaces in America sports one of these beauties. I know Clayton and Wendy have one.)
It’s a beautiful business model and one common to traditional offline direct marketers.
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Posted by:
Julie McManus
April 27, 2007
Issue #110
In this issue:
- Direct mailers feel the effects of the mother of all postage rate increases …
- The type of mailer that will get hit hardest … and what you can do to help them and profit in the process …
- The five things direct mailers can do to lessen the affects of skyrocketing costs …
- The mass exodus to the web that opens up a wealth of new opportunity for “Internet Marketing Specialists” …
- And much more!
Dear Business Builder,
Happy Friday and welcome back to the In the ‘Net Trenches. This week I want to veer off the subject of Internet marketing just a bit and talk about direct mail. But don’t worry, because I promise to bring it right back around to the net.
There’s a storm brewing in the direct mail industry and whenever there’s trouble you can assume the US Postal Service is to blame. It’s time to increase postage rates again … and I’m sure you’ve heard the price of a first class stamp is going up from 39 cents to 41 cents on May 14th – just over a 5% increase. “Big deal” you say, so I pay 2 cents more to mail Mom’s Mother's Day card. Or, I buy a roll of those forever stamps I’ve been hearing about and lock in the current rates until I run out …
Unfortunately, that’s only one small part of the story.
One class of mail is going to get hit especially hard with an anticipated 41% postage increase. This is the class of mail that includes catalogs, magalogs and tabloids … large format flats are going to get clobbered. It's the single largest percentage rate increase of all of the categories of mail accepted by the Postal Service. It's the single largest percentage increase I’ve ever seen in my almost 15 years in the business. Has the USPS gone loco?! Direct mailers that use this category have no choice but to suck it up, accept it or make some big changes.
What’s a flats mailer to do?
It’s not the end of the world, but mailers will have to adjust. Mail pieces will have to work harder, and copy will have to be even stronger, to capture the extra sales needed to maintain positive ROI in the mail after the increase.
And, it will be back to the drawing board for businesses that mail heavily (or exclusively) in the flat category. My guess is we’ll see a resurgence of smaller sizes in the mail. Slim Jims (6×11), digests or bookalogs (8 ½ x 5 ½), 6×9 envelopes and the good ol’ #10 envelope packages will reign supreme.
Many mailers will fold larger size pieces and tab them closed to push them from the flat category into the letter category. They’ll decrease page counts or paper weight to bring the overall weight of their flats down. They’ll look to reduce costs elsewhere … such as in printing, fulfillment or product production costs. And lastly, they’ll mail less, they’ll prospect less and they’ll refocus a good percentage of their direct mail budget elsewhere.
As I’m sure you can see, this rate increase has vast implications (good and bad) all across the direct response industry. Businesses such as printers, mail houses, list managers, manufacturers and fulfillment houses will be hit extremely hard. Even the USPS that started the problem will feel the effects when mailers pull back … perhaps enough to rethink this ridiculous increase.
A beeline to the web …
It’s hard to imagine any direct response business not taking advantage of the tremendous marketing opportunities on the web. But, I kid you not when I say they’re out there. I see them all the time. They know they need to start transitioning a portion of their marketing budget to the web – but for one reason or another – they haven’t done it.
Don’t be fooled, because many of these companies have websites. They’ve dabbled in the medium, but have never really been able to make it work for them. They never hired the human resources they needed to really get it going. In many cases, they ended up with no more than a wimpy online product brochure completely incapable of converting even the warmest prospect.
But the rate increase will be a catalyst that will drive many of these businesses back to the web and fast. They’ll be confused by the technology, they’ll be green to the marketing techniques, and they’ll be looking for you … will you be ready?
Calling all Internet marketers …
The Internet marketing industry is a small one … it has really only been around 10 years. In fact, “Internet Marketing Specialist” –and everything that encompasses – is on the list of the top 10 fastest growing jobs. And there aren’t enough experienced people to meet demand. Imagine the potential for freelancers and consultants in this category.
If you’re a web copywriter, web programmer, web media specialist, e-mail marketing specialist, affiliate marketing specialist or search engine specialist, the grass is about to get even greener and the stars even brighter. The pool of potential clients is about to open up considerably.
And, here’s a few ways you can find them …
- Directory of Major Mailers at www.majormailers.com. This is an online directory of thousands of the top direct mail users in the U.S. The searchable directory includes key contact profiles, contact information and what they mail. You can search through thousands of categories to create lists of exactly which types of prospects you’re looking for.
- Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) Direct Marketing List Source at www.srds.com. This is the top source of list information for the direct mail industry. This unbelievable resource will give you information on every list that is available on the market and the company that owns it. Search for lists by business category and find a wealth of potential new clients for your web business.
- Oxbridge Communications, Media Finder at www.mediafinder.com. The media finder database gives you access to over 700,000 U.S. and Canadian magazines, newspapers, newsletters, journals, catalogs and other periodicals. You can search the database by business category, publication type, company type, key contact, target audience and even keyword. Their inexpensive monthly membership option makes this a fabulous tool in your prospecting arsenal.
So, if you’re an experienced web marketing specialist, a web copywriter or web programmer, now’s your chance to start helping these direct mailers make lemonade out of lemons and finally make the web work for them …
You’re a hot commodity … so armed with this new information, it’s time to get out there and do something about it! And for Pete’s sake, let us know how you do!
Hope that helped and stay tuned …
Because next week I’ll reveal what I learned about web media marketing from a 7-foot tall, anatomically correct statue of a gargoyle.
Until next week,
Julie McManus
Editor, In the ‘Net Trenches
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™
And Web Media Goddess
P.S. Are you in the net trenches? Do you need help? Send me an e-mail to AskJulie@MakepeaceTotalPackage.com and I just might answer your question in an upcoming issue.
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
April 26, 2007
Issue #109
I don’t know how it happened.
One day I was minding my own business working solo as a copywriter and the next day – BAM!
I became a “copy mama” – to not ONE but 10 copy cubs! Working with these junior writers on inserts, website landing pages, e-zines and premiums has taught me a lot.
And if you’re ever in the position to copy chief a writer, hopefully reading about my trials and tribulations will help you out.
But this article is really for the copy cubs – the future Clayton Makepeaces of the world. If you have the opportunity to work and learn from a copy chief, be aware of some of these 7 common pitfalls and rookie mistakes.
#1: Don’t take it personal: I hate your copy – not you! I’m actually a very nice person. But, I’ve been told I can be brutal with crits. What can I say – Clayton was my copy chief! Blame it on him. Actually, THANK anybody who’s willing to be completely honest and frank about your copy – you’ll be a better writer if you just learn to take the punches.
So don’t take crits personally. You’re going to hear what’s wrong with your copy and get suggestions on how to fix it. So words like “weak,” “sucks” and “you’re boring the crap out of me” refer to your copy – not your personality.
One time Clayton gave me a crit that said – and I quote,
“You write like a F*%@!ing GIRL!”
My reply: “I AM a girl!”
My error: I was writing for a male potency product. You just don’t want “girliness” sneaking into that kind of copy!
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
April 25, 2007
Issue #108
In this issue:
- Two powerful motivational tools… how and when to use them …
- Why only 1% of people really think …
- How an old dog learns new tricks …
- What we’re all searching for …
- And more!
Dear Web Business Builder,
Last week, in John Newtson’s excellent article, he asked you what motivated YOU to become a highly paid, world-class copywriting rock star. And he referenced a post on THE TOTAL PACKAGE forum where Caleb O’Dowd spoke of something the late great Gary Halbert (bless his soul) referred to as, “Gun to the Head” marketing. John wrote:
A bigger motivator than having a dream
'It wasn’t until after my wedding and honeymoon (two weeks lazing about in the Tuscan hills of Chianti) that a more immediate need to finally DO something took hold of me.
'The great motivator? A big, fat nasty, behemoth of a monthly mortgage payment nestling down on my shoulders. The result of buying a house in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country – Washington D.C./Northern Virginia…
'…At near the height of the market (you’re supposed to buy high and sell low, right?)
'And that taught me the lesson Caleb O’Dowd, protégé to the late Gary Halbert, so eloquently posted on our forum recently:
‘I usually find a lot of inspiration from the threat of rapidly approaching poverty.
‘There’s nothing like the fear of not having enough money to feed myself, or pay for next months rent, to get the flames of inspiration burning "brightly" in my mind.
‘Gary Halbert once told me he is at his best when his head is barely above the financial water line. I happen to see the logic in that.’
'Amen! Dreams are great but nothing kicks you into high-gear like not having any other options. And once you start moving, low-and-behold, your dreams start to become realities!'
The point being, “survival” can be a great motivator. You better believe it. That’s how I learned to swim. My old man just threw me off the dock, and that was my training. But …
Can “Gun to the Head” Copywriting
Make You Rich?
I can’t think of a better way to fast track any career change. If you really want to be a professional copywriter, the best way bar none, is to just quit your F’ing day job right now. I mean that sincerely. If you’ve got the balls to do that, you WILL succeed. If you’re a wannabe copywriter, then “gun to the head” copywriting is for you.
But here’s the problem for all you pros out there … “Gun to the Head” copywriting, or “Gun to the Head” marketing, or “Gun to the Head” anything for that matter — as romantic as it sounds — is a lousy long-term motivational strategy. You will never get rich this way.
As soon as the fat starts to accumulate around your belly, you’ll begin to slide, until the gun is back at your head. Many people run this treadmill their entire lives. I know I’ve been around a couple of times myself.
True and lasting wealth can only come from finding your deepest motivation in the service of those beyond your immediate kith and kin: People who do not depend on you for their “survival”, and therefore have no power to hold a figurative gun to your head.
Though I realized this was true, for years, I was addicted to “gun to the head” heroism, and the terminal roller coaster ride it entails. Many people, I believe, struggle with this addiction.
Like any conditioned response it requires mindfulness to transcend…
I’ll always remember part of a presentation that one of my early mentors used to give, where he would say: “Only 1% of people really think. Another 10% of people think they think. And the remainder would rather DIE than think.”
18 years ago, when I heard this, it resonated with me in a weird sort of way. But I had no idea how absolutely true it really is. With each passing day I gain an increasing appreciation for its offbeat wisdom …
Even science is now discovering that by the time most people reach adulthood, they stop thinking new thoughts. This has profound implications to web marketing, to copywriting, to motivation, and just about everything else you can imagine.
How An Old Dog
Learns New Tricks …
Dr. Joe Dispenza, in his new book, “Evolve Your Brain” describes human mental development as the establishment of “neural networks” within the brain. As children, we build highways between the billions of neurons housed within our melons as we learn to tie our shoes, ride our bikes, read a book, and literally thousands of other tasks we must master to survive in the world.
Our prefrontal cortexes (our rational brains) are extremely active while we’re doing this. And with each new piece of learning, a flood of chemicals is released into our blood streams. These chemicals create feelings that result in a corresponding emotional imprint.
In adulthood, true learning virtually stops. And we begin to unquestioningly relate what we perceive through our existing filters of belief.
Rarely, and only through concentrated effort, do we apply our rational brains to anything more significant than simply directing what we perceive through one of our already established neural networks. Rarely do we create new ones. We just run the same old subroutines over and over again.
And each time we do, the original imprinted chemical signature is rereleased, resulting in the emotion originally associated with the creation of that neural network. Obviously this is much more complex than it sounds. Emotions are actually like colors, where the primary ones mix to form a potential kaleidoscope of shades and subtleties.
The end result of all this is that we fool ourselves into thinking we’re thinking, when in fact we are feeling. We do this constantly and unconsciously. Your prospects do this too.
What’s even more interesting about Dispenza’s work is the fact that he’s discovered we actually get physically addicted to these patterns. The cells within our bodies begin to crave the specific chemical cocktails that are released when we keep triggering the same old conditioned responses, regardless of the given stimuli. This in turn creates a biofeedback loop that further reinforces the existing neural networks that exist.
Over time, these addictions become inexorably intertwined with our very sense of identity, and therefore the mere act of creating new neural networks becomes uncomfortable. True rational thought actually throws our chemical soup out of balance, and we don’t feel like ourselves.
This kind of discomfort is extremely good for you and your business. It means you’re thinking and growing. And opening up new avenues of creativity and opportunity.
Even more importantly, it allows you to see your addiction to a motivational strategy that may no longer serve you (or any other limiting belief for that matter) for what it is, freeing you to begin boldly replacing it with one that does.
That could mean finding the courage to embrace “Gun to the Head” marketing… or transcending it, depending on where you are in your career.
Guess What Else
You Can Do With This …
On the flip side of the same coin, feeding the emotional addictions of others through the power of suggestion is what super profitable marketing is all about. This is dominant emotion selling at its pinnacle of effectiveness.
When your copy aligns with your prospect’s existing sub-programs, as he sub-vocalizes your words, a potent chemical elixir is released into his bloodstream that he is almost powerless to defend against.
The feelings he is already addicted to begin to light up in his nerve endings. You give him a little fix, and before long he’s drooling for more. Like Pavlov’s dog, all he needs is the correct stimulus.
This is in fact the exact dynamic that exists in any highly lucrative market. How else do you explain the serial purchasing behavior that makes direct marketing so profitable?
Your best prospects are junkies who are emotionally addicted to the appeals of your product. They’ll buy the same product wrapped in slightly different garb over and over and over and over again.
I leave you with this…
We’re all searching for TRUTH.
Truth is incredibly important to us. We are driven to discover it.
But what is truth? I’ll tell you …
Truth is the revelation of what we already believe to be true, but have never before heard in words, or confronted. TRUTH is what we accept as true, not because it is based on FACT, but because it fits in with our pre-existing beliefs, be they foolish or profound.
Until next time, Good Selling!
Daniel Levis
Editor, The Web Marketing Advisor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™
P.S. For a limited time, you can now cram your hard drive full of control busting copy at a $100 savings with the Steal These Secrets Swipefile. Stop racking your brain needlessly for creative ideas when you can have a treasure trove of proven winning concepts at your fingertips – guaranteed to open the profit floodgates – or your money back! Check it out!
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