Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
June 30, 2008
Issue #448
My Secret Weapon:
The “unfair advantage” that has helped me
beat the competition into submission since 1995:
How you can have it, too …
Dear Business-Builder,
They say the ultimate in “chutzpah” is killing your parents, then asking the judge for mercy because you’re an orphan.
I know — gross. But you gotta admire people who know what they want and who’ll go to just about any lengths to get it.
Like the guy I knew who landed an airplane, unannounced at a KGB listening post at the Arctic Circle and bribed a Soviet Colonel to lend him a helicopter — just so his son could make it into The Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest person ever to visit the North Pole.
Or the infamous mercenary and publisher of Soldier of Fortune magazine I spent a day and a raucous evening with in 1980 who got himself invited to tag along on the Bay of Pigs Invasion just for grins.
Or the guy I met just last week, who sold Castro a boatload of coffee for $1.8 million — cash in advance — then told the Cuban authorities his boat had sunk on its way to Havana.
I don’t care who you are; this stuff is priceless.
One of the most lovable scoundrels I’ve ever met
is a guy named Larry Owen …
I met Larry at Will’s Honky Tonk — “A sunny spot for shady people” — one of the raunchiest biker bars in Florida back in 1995. I was just walking away from the bar with an iced-down brewski when I overhead someone mention that he owned an advertising agency.
I spun on my heel and introduced myself. “My name’s Clayton; I’m in advertising too — I’m a copywriter.” Larry gave me a dismissive glance; “I’m Larry Owen,” he said in the most disinterested tone of voice imaginable. “Give me your card — maybe I can give you some work, someday.”
Don’t know if it was what he said or how he said it, but something about his reply really torqued me off. “I’m booked for five years in advance,” I said. Here’s my card … maybe I can give YOU some work.”
(more…)
Posted by:
Troy White
June 20, 2008
Issue #442
In this issue:
- The Small Business ATM Machine - or the curse of the advertising sales rep?
- Silliness 101 and why most small businesses are fed up with their marketing and Yellow Pages efforts
- The 3 proven rules for writing a money churning display ad for any business
- And Much More!
Fellow business builder,
Over the past 5 years, I have noticed a very scary thing with small business owners. They tend to believe the people who are selling them advertising space! Considering that most advertising sales reps know very little about direct response (or even how to spell it), and that they are paid on the space they sell - not the results their clients get … there couldn’t be a worse place to get advertising advice.
Yet, a decent Yellow Pages ad or small display ad can bring in a constant stream of paying clients.
Today I want to discuss how effective display ads can be used for the average house painter, massage therapist, Laundromat, restaurant, printing company, etc.
These are not the type of ads that Clayton would be writing - these are much easier for the typical small business owner to write, and run themselves.
Small display ads …
You see them everywhere!
They are plastered all over the local newspapers.
They are in the phone book.
They are on the Internet.
They are used as brochures.
They are used in e-mail promotions.
They are used on eBay listings.
They are used on web pages.
They are used as handouts.
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Posted by:
Gary Bencivenga
June 19, 2008
Issue #441
Ask this simple 5-word question,
stand back and watch
your breakthroughs — and response — erupt.
Dear Marketing Top Gun:
In this Bullet, you will learn a simple five-word sentence that gives you an almost unfair advantage in boosting your response, outselling your competition and triggering an ongoing stream of creative breakthroughs.
Asking this simple question is the easiest way I know to get yourself and your staff to think outside the box. It can literally make you wealthy and establish your reputation as a marketing visionary with a Midas touch.
This is true whether you’re an entrepreneur, infopreneur, copywriter, marketing manager, CEO — anyone with anything to do with marketing.
Shameless overpromising? Not at all, as you’ll now see.
Here’s the question:
What are we really selling?
Just five little words. But let’s explore their revolutionary power, first on a basic level, then advanced.
A Little-Known Secret of Master Closers
First, always remember that advertising is nothing more than salesmanship multiplied by a mass medium. This is why it can unleash such powerful leverage in making you rich and successful. It is a persuasive salesperson able to close thousands or even millions of sales at once. And then do it again tomorrow and the next day.
Knowing this, the happiest hunting ground I’ve ever found to uncover new ways to explode response is to learn the secrets of master salespeople and then apply them to direct response.
What follows is easily one of the most powerful.
Early in my career, a wizened old Copy Chief taught me that one of the shrewdest questions master closers always ponder is, "What are we really selling?"
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Posted by:
Troy White
June 13, 2008
Issue #438
Fellow Business Builder,
Today, it happened.
In Calgary where I live there is a shameful shortage of well-written marketing material. Business owners are scared of actually doing something that gets results - and there’s a miniscule number of people who actually understand the direct response business. (Sad for a city of a million people! - but also a good opportunity for helping them learn.)
Imagine my surprise when I opened the perfect direct mail envelope (white #10 - return address without a name – looks very much like personal mail) … and it came from a furnace company!
Headline: "Troy, Are You Thinking About Replacing Your
Furnace?"
(Hint: why can’t you replace the furnace with your business and send out the same headline to your prospects? Also note, my name was in the headline – a very good way to improve your response)
Subhead: I’ll buy you dinner at the Keg Just for Letting Me Give You A Quote - But Only If You’re One Of The Next 20 People To Call …
BRILLIANT!
A furnace company using direct response … wonderful to see.
So, what does Troy do?
Phones the owner of the company of course! :o) And he is happy to share his results so far …
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Posted by:
Carline Anglade-Cole
June 12, 2008
Issue #437
While I’m researching a project, I’m always on the lookout for “the big idea” … “the hook” … or for you English teachers out there – “the theme” – for my package.
One way I hone in on my big idea is to answer this simple, yet powerful question:
So what?
In other words, what’s so great about your product? What makes it unique … desirable … and a MUST HAVE – RIGHT NOW? Usually when I can answer that question, I’ve found my big idea.
For example …
A few years ago, when I was researching a Co enzyme Q10 product, I discovered statin drugs drain your Coq10 levels. And CoQ10 is especially critical for your heart. So people taking statin drugs to prevent heart problems were actually DROPPING DEAD from heart attacks!
Kapow! Now, that’s what I call an answer to a “So what”!
This became my big idea which led to this headline:
“The shocking truth about
cholesterol-lowering drugs”
Rob Davis, one of my all-time favorite designers, came up with a cover where you see the soles of a man’s shoes while he’s lying on the floor. It was a brilliant design – and the package KICKED BUTT!
Sometimes you gotta dig really deep to find a powerful big idea. Last year, I worked on a product called “DIM” – a natural hormone balancing nutrient.
There was all kind of great scientific research on this product. So I thought I would go with that angle. But …
… then I started reading the testimonials.
There was one emotion that just kept rising to the surface: Fear.
These folks were scared to death of hormones. They didn’t understand what they were or why their bodies were out of whack.
Aha!
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